Untouchable
by ArcGreen
Summary: ShinoXHinata. Cause there seems to be a shortage of stories with this pairing
1. Chapter 1

Untouchable

A Fanfiction centered on Shino and Hinata

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, only borrowing them for my own twisted fantasies!

A/N: This is my first fanfic that I've gotten the nerve to put online. I _really like_ the pairing! And there just aren't enough Shino or Hinata fanfics out there! So, anywhoo I hope I didn't butcher the characters _too _much. Oh yeah! I almost forgot! This is pre-shippuden, but I'm not quite sure when XX -. Enjoy!

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The force of her fist connecting the tree vibrated her entire body, sending shooting pains towards her shoulder. Gritting her teeth she swung even harder.

"Hinata!"

The footsteps of her teammates gave her the slightest pause mid-swing. Turning around she smiled hesitantly at the two young men. Who were looking at her with varying expressions of awe and shock.

"Oh, um, hi Shino, Kiba."

Embarrassingly wiping her bloodied knuckles on her pants, she made her way over to them.

Every day she had been getting up hours before dawn to come practice before the rest of the team showed up. Usually she was able to disappear before they saw her, so they didn't know. It was bad to hide things from her team but this was something that she wanted to be able to proudly show them one day. Today though, she had been beating out a rare feeling of aggression and had lost track of time.

"I was just g-g-getting a head s-st-start."

Kiba took in the high flush and bruises on the timid girl. This wasn't the first day that Hinata had been beating tree trunks to death. Grinning widely at her he yelled excitedly.

"Way to go Hinata! I didn't know you were doing extra sessions, Akamaru and I could have stayed and helped!"

Even though being known as such a beast, Kiba really was a loyal friend and member of the team. Even if he was a little wild and short-tempered.

She nodded sweetly at the wild haired teen.

"Thanks Kiba, but I didn't want to b-be a b-bur-burden to you guys."

She glanced at the silent teen to her left, the stoic Aburame. His dark glasses shiny in the morning sun, she couldn't tell if his expression changed or not.

"Hinata, you are not a burden to us but a valuable member of our team and as our friend."

She flushed deeper at the compliment, fumbling worse as she spoke.

"Th-th-thanks S-Shino."

Shino frowned invisibly behind his coat. It bothered him that Hinata got so embarrassed at praise or anything else for that matter. As if she thought she was beneath everyone else. He continued to watch the young lady as they began the day by having Kiba and Akamaru work with Hinata on their one-on-one. This was logical, as Kiba was the most aggressive when it came to that kind of combat. And while Hinata had improved drastically since the Chuuin Exams, she still felt inadequate at physical fighting. Watching the blue sheen hair whip around her as she used her Gentle Fist technique, he ignored the humming under his skin.

Mid-morning when the three fell down in physical exhaustion did Shino finally move towards them. It was a mutual agreement that since Hinata wanted most of the work, that instead of Kurenai practicing with them, that she would take her place and the two boys would take turns training with her.

After she rested she would take him on. For now, he just watched her.

Hinata clutched at a stitch in her chest, gulping deep breathes. Looking up at Kiba she noticed red streaks on his clothing, upon closer inspection it turned out to be blood.

"Kiba! Y-y-you're hurt!"

He blinked at her through a sweaty haze, confusion written on his face. He felt drained, knowing without having to look that Hinata had accidently hit some of his chakra points.

"Huh?"

She pointed a shaky hand at the marks. Blinking down, he frowned at the blood streaks before looking back at her.

"Hinata, those are from you."

Shino watched as Kiba pointed out the scrapes on her hands, resisting the urge to reprimand her on not taking care of herself. He wasn't concerned, they weren't that bad of cuts, but still a fierce protectiveness for her had him curling his hands inside his coat pockets.

Hinata felt Shino's invisible eyes on her as Kiba pointed out the scrapes on her knuckles. Staring down at her knees she felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. She should have tried harder not to get hurt in such a simple way. Shino was probably disappointed too.

"Hey, Hinata?"

The fists inside Shino's pockets imperceptibly clenched till the knuckles were white as he watched Kiba bring a gentle hand up to cup the upset girls chin, tilting it up to show teary pearl lavender eyes. His chest squeezed at the sight. She was being hard on herself again, Kiba and Shino knew the tell tale signs instantly. Still, he didn't like Kiba touching her.

"You did a good job Hinata, look! You closed up some of my points!"

Shino instantly knew that Kiba wasn't helping; her face fell even more as she realized that she actually hit the marks. Frantically searching into her pockets, she pulled out her ever-handy medical lotion and began rolling up Kiba's sleeve to apply it. Profusely apologizing all the while.

Staring down at the ground as she bitterly berated herself, she froze when a blazing hand cupped her cheek. She always forgot how her teammates had unique traits that came from their clan's association. Kiba was like a huge heater, no matter how cold the weather became. While Shino skin was abnormally cooler, his body adapting to hosting the Kikaichu.

Looking at the chakra points that were visibly bruised, Hinata felt horror at what she did to her teammate. Stuttering incoherently as she fumbled for the medicinal lotions she carried. Gently grabbing his unresisting arm, she rolled up his sleeve and began to softly massage the lotion on the hit spots. Feeling two pair of steady eyes on her the whole time.

"Kiba, I'm s-so s-s-sorry."

He grinned at her.

"Hey don't sweat it! That just means you're getting better!"

The two on the ground looked up in surprise as Shino abruptly turned away, walking towards the trees. Sharing a glance at each other, they both silently agreed to leave him alone. Although uncommon, Shino occasionally did that. Despite the cold indifferent exterior he had, they both knew that he was full with the same emotions as any other human. Even if the reason for these bouts were a mystery.

Not wanting to see the way Hinata gently rubbed lotion on Kiba's arm, he turned away. Although they hugged when they passed the Chuuin exams two years ago. He wasn't as physically affectionate as Kiba. He knew what people thought of him and his Kikaichu.

A bug freak. Creepy guy.

He knew Hinata wouldn't want to ever touch him the way she touch Kiba or Akamaru.

"Shino?"

Her small voice came right behind him. Tensing up, he slowly turned to look into her large concerned eyes. The urge to wrap his abnormally cold arms around her was overwhelming. Another reason for people to stay away from him; the cooler body temperature to host the Kikaichu.

"Hinata, I'm fine."

His quiet voice betrayed nothing, even if he actually felt terrible. Never about his hive, but about the way people perceived him and his clan.

Looking away he seriously thought about leaving training for tomorrow and go hang out by himself when a small hand grabbed his. Controlling himself not to spin his head back, he slowly moved to look first at the petite hand that barely wrapped around his and then up to the furiously blushing girl.

Watching an almost imperceptible expression flash across Shino's face, Hinata felt something tighten in her chest. It was so easy for everyone to forget how hard it was being different. Kiba was put down as a beast, a monster, while Shino was feared as inhuman because of his clan's connection with insects. Shino definitely got put down the most simply because most people dislike or hate bugs.

Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed his hand. This wasn't wrong, she was helping a teammate. They were always there to help her right? Even if he wasn't as open about it as Kiba, she knew he would be there for her just as quickly if not quicker. Her best friends. Tightening her grip she was surprised at how his felt: cool and smooth, like marble. Hinata smile sweetly up at him.

"R-ready?"

Without even realizing it, Shino closed his eyes as the tiny hand tightened around his. It was like a child's, but only that it was dead capable of causing severe pain. Outside his clan, nobody has ever touched him before in a gesture of affection. How many times has he wished for a simple brush of her hand, let alone a full clasp?

Opening them, he glanced up to see Kiba watching them with a smirk on his face. He had known for a long time that Shino was attracted to Hinata, even if the silent shinobi never showed it. Kiba was attuned enough to his two friends to notice the littlest change. Akamaru leaned against him with a happy sigh.

"Yes, let's start now."

Reluctantly letting go of her hand, he braced himself to go against her. This was for her own good, so one day she can show everybody that she was not weak or worthless. Even if seeing her hurt from his attacks made him sick.

Walking to the middle of the training grounds, they faced each other.

While Kiba did most of the physical practice, that didn't mean Shino didn't. But his attacks were more cunning, more thought out. Not as thoroughly planned as Shikamaru's but close enough to help Hinata practice unsure attacks.

She closed her eyes briefly, visibly straightening herself up for the sparring. He nodded with approval when her eyes opened up with determination.

She was sore. Everywhere.

Collapsed onto her knees, she heaved oxygen into her lungs. Her shoulder length hair fell around her face, shielding her pained expression from the boys.

She should just cut it, since it was easier to keep clean and out of the way during battles. But growing it out was showing everyone that she was not the little girl who Neji had beaten.

Looking up through her bangs, she saw Shino calmly standing twenty yards away. Rarely did he ever show his exhaustion like her and Kiba. But this time she knew that she had successfully hit him at least four times, blocking four of his tenteksu.

Sitting back, she looked up into his covered face. Smiling.

Shino felt his responding smile. The oddly numb spots in his arms told him that she had gotten better. With the irritated buzz of his Kikaichu telling him the rest.

Hinata flushed when Shino's quiet voice whispered in her ear.

"Well done...Hinata."

Her embarrassment faded as she looked over her shoulder to smile at the crouching shinobi.

"Th-th-thank y-y-you Shino."

Seeing the happy look in her eyes, he resisted the urge to take his hands out of his pockets and wrap them around her. Getting up he did something that surprised them both. He hesitantly held his hand out.

Hinata's smiled grew when Shino held out his hand. He's never done that before! Did that mean that she had gotten stronger and that he was not disappointed to be part of her team anymore? Shyly she placed her hand in his, the blush deepening when his closed around hers and pulled her up easily.

"Th-th-thank you."

Her heart fluttered rapidly as she looked up to see him directly looking at her. With the sun behind him, she could easily make out the outline of his eyes.

"Hurry up you two! I'm starving!"

The wildly thumping heart was suddenly lodged in her throat as she jumped at Kiba's voice. She had almost completely forgotten him as her and Shino worked out. Her stomach, however, agreed with the sentiment. Growling loudly in protest at being neglected for too long.

Shino's eyebrows rose high at the sound.

Hinata let go of his hand to embarrassingly clutch her protesting middle. Turning away, she laughed quietly at Kiba and Akamaru, who grinned at her.

"Hungry Hinata?"

She shrugged good-naturedly, getting a loud bark of a laugh from him. It was so easy to be comfortable around Kiba.

"Wanna go get some-"

Trailing off, Kiba and Akamaru simultaneously sniffed the air. Hinata smiled, knowing what they just caught the scent of. Kiba turned wide eager eyes at her.

"Hinata! You did, didn't you!"

She couldn't help but laugh at the excitement that he and his nin-dog were not bothering to hide. Jumping they appeared in front of her, ignoring Shino.

"Where?!"

Giggling at the matching puppy dog looks, she walked towards the rock that she had used to hide the four bentos she had made before coming to train. They loved her cooking, and she simply loved making things for them. It was nice to be appreciated for something that didn't matter to most people.

"Here you go."

She reached out to hand the boxes off, but blinked when two were already gone. Raising her eyebrows in surprise, she turned to watched Kiba and Akamaru already woofing down the extra filled bento.

Feeling timid, she turned back to where Shino was still standing. Going up to him, she slowly held the box out.

"W-would you like to eat w-w-with us, Sh-Shino?"

After a few seconds, he reached out and gently took the box from her. They walked together to sit nearby the other two. Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched the young shinobi tiredly sit down, leaving her legs out in front of her. He slowly started to eat the delicious food, watching her out of the corner of his eye. She wasn't terribly thin or big, a perfect middle for a girl. Even though her skin was very fair and soft looking, he knew that it was not soft in a weak way. Hard earned muscle lay underneath all those baggy clothes.

Hinata did sometimes shed the heavier jacket and pants for lighter outfits, if she was water training or the day was really hot. He secretly loved those days. The first time he and Kiba saw Hinata practice her water justu, they stared in awe.

Her body had developed perfectly from the shy awkward girl to a beautiful young woman, but that didn't stop just there. The graceful and shockingly sensual way she moved on the water was so seductive that Shino flushed with desire, his Kikaichu vibrating beneath his skin with the spike in his emotions and chakra. He could have silently stood there watching her for the rest of his life, and he did.

Until Kiba cat called out to her in admiration. The poor girl looked like she died of

humiliation, losing control and falling into the water.

Shino never forgot though, he woke in the middle of the night, tormented by the image of her untouchable silhouette.

"Shi-shino?"

Mentally shaking away those thoughts, he looked up to see Hinata looking at him with concern.

"Yes?"

How long had he been spacing out? Glancing around he saw Kiba and Akamaru taking a quick nap in the sun. Looking back he saw that Hinata was fumbling with her chopsticks in her lap.

"Y-y-you w-weren't e-eating so I..I thought m-maybe you didn't l-like it?"

He blinked down at his barely touched food, feeling guilty at making her sad.

"No Hinata," he watched her face fall, "I do like it, but was just thinking."

Looking up at him with those pearl soft eyes, she smiled and began eating again.

They ate together in companionable silence for a while, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

Though Hinata thought he was silent just because he didn't want to talk to her. The thought bothered her more than it should. Of course people as talented as Shino wouldn't want to talk to her, she was boring and timid. Nothing like Ino or Sakura, who had boys follow them around. She admire them so much,not because of their looks, but because of the self-confidence that surrounded them.

They were comfortable in their own skins, while she was struggling to not be ashamed of herself. They were a lot like Naruto.

The thought of him made her blush, he had so much love for himself that he looked beyond other people's opinions and even changed them. She wanted to be like him so much, that it drove her to get up every day and strengthen her body and mind until well past night fall.

She wanted to make someone proud.

Glancing over at the bowed head of Shino, her flushed got darker. Most of all, she wanted to be an asset to her two teammates, and not a burden.

Shino was thinking of her.

Always of her.

Sometimes he thought he'd go mad if he thought about her anymore, making him act more indifferent and cold towards the reason of his pain. Watching her as usual out of the corner of his eye, he saw the display of several emotions. It fascinated him on how many different shades of red she could turn in a matter of seconds.

Her eyes unknowingly met his before shooting away with the darkest shade yet.

Shino stared agape at what just happened. Was she thinking of him? The knot of hurt inside him loosened as he replayed the last few seconds in his head.

Thinking this sent hundreds of spiderwebbed ideas through his mind. Maybe he did have a chance .

"Hinata! Wanna go another round?"

Watching her nod and get up, his light mood darken considerably. Quieting his Kikaichu, he contemplated on an infuriating blonde who was oblivious to Hinata's feelings. It's been a few years since Naruto left the village to train with one of the sanins, but that didn't mean she wasn't in love with him anymore. Hinata was not as fickle as the other girls, like Sakura or Ino. She chooses for definite reasons.

Reasons unknown to him.

Getting up from her spot, she felt Shino's chakra spike momentarily before returning to normal. Looking back she found him facing towards her, though the glare of the sun off his glasses made it impossible for her to see his eyes. Still, she thought rather than saw, a frown on his face.

"Hiiiiiinata!"

Kiba's whine had her scurrying off towards the center of the field. Activating her bloodline limit, they were about to start when the sun was blocked out by angry clouds.

Kiba blinked up at them in confusion.

"When did those get here?"

Hinata looked up and unconsciously smile, those were storm clouds. Thunder storm tonight. She loved storms, even if that meant she wouldn't be able to practice her water jutsu.

"Let's stop for today, there's going to be a bad storm."

Shino's voice of reason had both nodding. Kiba shivered with apprehension.

"Good idea, we're going to leave. Akamaru doesn't like thunder."

With that, they bounded away in a flash, leaving the two alone in the field.

Shino waited for her to say her goodbye, but was surprised to see her still looking up. She had such a peaceful look on her face that made his heart ache in longing. Feeling his eyes on her, she turned her head and smiled at him.

"Storms are so pretty."

They stood there staring at each other. Then Hinata walked over towards him, he widened his eyes at what she said next.

"W-w-want to..to s-s-stay for awhile w-w-w-with m...e?"

Almost feeling the heat from her face, he smiled at her obvious discomfort. She probably thought that it was beneath him to say yes to her idea. She didn't know how much he wanted to say something like that, to take make him feel as if he wasn't a monster.

"I will stay."

The smile she gave him almost stopped his heart. It was at him, and only him.

Walking towards the trees, they easily jumped onto the same sturdy branch. Sitting a few inches apart they watched as the heavy rain began to fall.

"Sh-Shino?"

He tilted head to show her he was listening. She nervously plucked at her coat.

"D-do y-y-you r-really think I i-i-improved?"

Feeling content sitting so close to her, he let his guard slip just a little.

"Yes, I do..Hinata."

She blushed with pleasure at the softened tone, hoping he wasn't just being polite.

"T-thank you for training me."

He looked to find her finally looking at him, and froze. Right then he wanted to tell her everything. That he did it only for her, that he was so proud, that she didn't need to fear him or his Kikaichu. How it hurt to think that she might fear him.

"Are you afraid of me?"

Unlike her usual timid self, Hinata heard something that she never had heard in Shino's voice before.

Hesitation.

Looking straight up at him, seeing his eyes through shaded glass, she answered without stammer or breaking contact.

"Never."

Before he could control it, a smile appeared on his face. She was close enough to see it, responding with a smile herself. To think that it bothered Shino if she was afraid of him sent happy bubbles into her stomach.

"Good, cause...cause I'd never hurt you."

Rubbing a hand on a sore spot that was recently from him, she couldn't help but raise a skeptical brow at him. He grinned in a rare moment of teasing.

"You know what I mean."

A shy giggle escaped her mouth. Shino was rarely if ever playful with her, always serious and quiet. He only ever showed a warmer side towards Kiba and that was only to provoke him while they were sparring.

Maybe he was beginning to like her more. The thought brought a blush and pleased smile to her face.

Falling into silence again, they watched lightening flash across the sky as the storm moved closer to them. Shino was just wondering if he should ask her anything else when her soft voice broke the silence.

"This is...is nice, Sh-shino. W-we've n-never spent c-casual time to...together." she glanced uncertainly at him before bravely continuing.

"You are s-so q-quiet and d-d-d-distant, that I th-thought y-you d-d-didn't l-l-like me."

Losing her courage she fell into an awkward silence, hoping that she didn't upset him. He was always in such control that she jumped when his arm shyly settled onto her shoulders.

Shino never felt braver then now, after hearing her stuttered speech, his body went ahead without his permission. Now as she blushed furiously at her pants, he took a moment to calm his raving Kikaichu and feelings before honestly answering.

"I thought you were dis...disgusted with my Kikaichu."

With unusual feelings of anxiety he waited impatiently for the young woman to reply. Maybe she was trying to find a nice way to tell him that it was true and that she didn't want him to ever touch her again. Or maybe...

"Why would I be disgusted Shino?"

It was the first time that she ever said his name without butchering it. In response to his feelings, the Kikaichu hummed underneath his skin in eagerness.

"Most people are."

Hinata heard the slight reservation in his voice as he answered. So is that why he is always distant with everyone else? Because they thought he was disgusting? Anger unburied itself as she thought of how her teammate was treated by other people.

"They are a part of you Shino, I've never been disgusted or afraid."

The fierceness in her voice gave him pause, was she defending him to...him? Something hot rushed through his veins as she glared at him accusingly.

Hinata was..well..._hot_ when she became angry.

"Don't you d-dare let p-people m-make you feel d-d-d-d-disgusting!"

Shino stared astonished as her tiny fist clenched tightly on her thighs. She was really worked up about it. Did she really...care that much?

She couldn't believe they were having a two sided conversation that wasn't about a mission or training. For the second time that day she felt the rare feeling of anger as she heard him admit that most people thought he was disgusting. Tears welled up in her eyes as her mind brought up the image of a small child in a large coat, eyes hidden behind sunglasses- standing away from all the other children.

Alone.

A quiet sniff caught his attention.

"Hin..ata?"

Suddenly the strong smell of flowers overpowered his senses as Hinata launched herself into his arms. He sat there uneasily for a few moments, unsure of what to do to comfort the crying girl. Why the hell was she crying? Shaking from the quiet sobs that were soaking his coat, he let more of his guard down. Shyly, he raised his arms.

And with his heart and bugs thumping out two wildly uneven beats, he wrapped his arms completely around her.

He thought he was going to die.

Not even hesitating, the small young woman had simply snuggled deeper into his embrace and wrapped her own arms around his mid-section. Her quiet sobs decreasing as the Kikaichu beneath his skin hummed soothingly in her ear. She was surprised at how the sound calmed her. She hadn't lied to Shino when she said she wasn't afraid or disgusted by them, but she never thought they would be comforting.

Focusing all his energy, Shino desperately fought to control the erratic beating of his heart. It had literally halted when she slipped her arms around him.

She hugged him, without shuddering.

With a small sigh of uncharacteristic happiness, Shino rested his cheek on the top of her head. It didn't matter if it took her the rest of the day or night to calm down; in fact he was secretly hoping it would. He was willing to stay there forever if she wanted.

When did he become such a romantic, sad, sap?

"I-I'm s-sorry, Shino."

Opening his eyes, he leaned back to see her puffy eyes looking up at him with shame. And frowned.

"For what?"

Please, don't regret doing this; please...don't say it was bad.

"F-for c-c-crying and u-u-using you."

He tensed slightly, unsure on how she'll take what he was going to say. And praying that she would not faint.

"It was...pleasant."

Pleasant? What a joke, it was amazing! He felt warm, her small body producing an incredible amount of heat. He resisted the urge to move her even closer.

Hinata blushed with pleasure at this. She had thought that he would drop his arms the moment she was okay, but found that he was still holding her. A thought occurred to her.

Was this the first real hug he's had with anyone? Besides family that is. The thought troubled her greatly, in the way that it was sad that he didn't have the friends that were affectionate with him. Another feeling she shocked herself at discovering, was that she was happy that she was the only girl that he has ever hugged.

They both jumped when a clap of thunder crashed unnervingly close to their tree. A flash of lightening quickly followed, whitening the entire sky before being followed by another crash.

Hinata flinched. Sure she loves storms, when they were at a distance.

Shino was about to ask Hinata if she wanted to move somewhere else when he felt a familiar chakra presence coming towards them. Gently pushing Hinata away, he tried to ignore the questioning and slightly hurt look on her face, to turn to the trees on their right.

It didn't take long for Shibi to show up.

Walking in a leisure pace, the older man had come looking for his son when the storm was becoming increasingly worse. Not that Shino couldn't handle himself, but he knew his wife would worry to no end if he didn't bring his son home. Misao was terrified of storms and always wanted her entire family there when one was close.

Finding his chakra signature, he crept up on what he thought was Shino alone, not noticing the other presence with him. When he got close enough to see his son, he silently rocked back on his heels in shock.

Shino was hugging (and rather tightly) a girl!

The normally reserved ninja, actually smiled widely at the content expression on his son's face. It was a tough place to be, an Aburame with a hive. No one wanted to be close to you because of the bugs, while that's all you yearned for. Not that the family was distant, no, quite the opposite.

Shino looked up into the face of his 'hidden' father, who was smiling widely at him before replacing it with a neutral expression. A plan formed in his head that almost had him smile again; instead he straightened his back and walked towards them on the branch.

Hinata was looking at Shino, wondering if he was sorry he did or said anything to her, when a figure stepped out of the trees.

Recognizing the similar, well exact style replica of Shino's clothing. Hinata felt her face lose all its color, feeling cold with fear. His face was expressionless as he took in the scene, glasses too dark to even tell if he was looking at her.

Resisting the urge to hide her face in Shino's chest, she frantically scrambled backwards on the branch. Stuttering and stammering multiple things at once.

Shino has never seen her lose all color, and had to admit it was frightening to see. Her lavender eyes widen with fear as Shibi made his presence known. Pushing away from him, he frowned at the loss of warmth, she was attempting to scoot away from both of them as fast as her current position would allow. Sharing a glance with his father, they both turned back into time to watch the scared girl's mouth form a silent 'O' in surprise before completely losing her balance.

He didn't even think, just launched himself towards her.

Hinata was not a weak person; in fact her determination and consistency proved that she was extremely strong. Physically.

Mentally, emotionally, the girl became so easily flustered and embarrassed that she was sad to say that fainting was a common occurrence. Even if Naruto wasn't present to cause it.

As she was falling now, the thought of putting chakra into her feet and planting them on a passing branch didn't cross her mind. She looked up to see Aburame Shibi, the Aburame clan leader, watching her over the branch she just slipped off of. Mortification along with dead fear at what Shino's father must think of her , she felt a familiar and at the moment, very welcomed feeling of darkness tunneling her vision.

Just when the loudest clap of thunder roared in her ears, Hinata promptly fainted.


	2. Chapter 2

The feeling of warmth surrounding her brought Hinata slowly back towards the surface of consciousness.

Not that she was hurrying the process along any. In fact, she was trying to slow it down to a snail's pace. Hoping to fight off the moment when she has to open her eyes and look humiliation in the face.

Not quite ready.

Instead she tried to figure out why she was so warm. She _did_ remember falling off the branch after Aburame Shibi stepped out. But it had been raining heavily with the storm.

It clicked.

Shino must have carried her home, knowing that it sometimes took her awhile to fully wake up after a fainting spell.

She worriedly wondered if he thought she had done all that because she was ashamed or regretted hugging him. He never said anything but Hinata could feel that he was very sensitive when it came to relationships with people.

He always clung to the persona that being teammates meant that they had to share and trust each other. Though he was the most secretive of all three, she knew that he really just wanted to be a part of their lives. Their friend.

Grimacing, she wiggled under the blanket, trying to get rid of an uncomfortable spot.

And froze.

Where were her clothes?!

Controlling the urge to jump up, Hinata slowly cracked open an eye to take in her surroundings.

Shino had been contemplating the small figure in front of him since they had arrived at his house. Ignoring the burning questions that were vibrating from his father, Shino had luckily landed before Hinata did, saving her from the fall off the tree. He had then covered her up in his sweatshirt and turned to meet the overcurious man.

"What should we do?"

He had to stall with something, not wanting to deal with an interrogation about what he was sure the older man witnessed.

"We will take her home, the Aburame house is much closer then the Hyuuga clans."

With that said, Shino quickly led the way.

Usually his father led when they were on missions together, but carrying the girl closely in his arms, Shino knew that a faint blush was making its way towards his face. The last thing he needed was ribbing from his father. Even though he was seen as a...well...badass. Shibi was quite the opposite at home, 

though not completely. He was what one would call sternly affectionate towards his family. Shino has only ever seen him completely relaxed with he thought he was alone with his mom.

This brought him back to what happened in the tree. She had been upset for him. This probably shouldn't matter, Hinata was so kind and sweet to everyone, but Shino was positive that it went beyond normal friendship. Maybe more than teammates. Pondering these hopeful thoughts, he absently led the way into the Aburame clan mansion.

The clan itself was isolated from the rest of the village. They were known for their exclusive behavior and although not unwelcomed, were not on the top of the party list.

The Aburame men were scary.

All wearing the traditional coat and sunglasses and the cold demeanor.

Plus the destruction bugs.

Frightening.

"Shino! What happened?"

Bustling towards him was a short petite woman with flyaway curls of dark brown. Looking at him were beautifully expressive eyes the color of midnight blue, so dark that they looked black most of the time. And also very worried.

"Mother, my teammate, Hyuuga Hinata, and I were training when the storm hit. She fainted."

It was a simple statement, and Aburame Misao saw right through it. So this was the 'teammate' that Shino was always with. She also realized that this was only the second person he's brought home.

The first girl.

A bright smile blossomed on her delicate features.

"Oh? Well she's soaking wet! Shibi! Go get your sister and bring her to Shino's room. Shino, take the poor flower to your room! Now!"

Yelling out orders, the matriarch waved Shino towards his room with a shivering Hinata. Suspicions floated in his mind as to the scheming his mother was doing. Why his room and not the guest room,hm?

He didn't get his entire intelligence from his father. Tactical planning came directly from the small woman.

"Sh-sh-sh-shino?"

The soft stutter shook him out of his thoughts. Looking down, he smiled at the furiously blushing girl.

"How do you feel?"

To his surprise, the blush darkened while trailing down her neck like poison. Unbidden, the urge to follow the blush to see how far down it goes came to his mind. His voice stuck in his throat like a rock. Ah! Being around that dog is beginning to rub off on him!

"Wh-wh-where are m-my c-clothes?"

Opening her eyes, Hinata had been watching Shino for the last five minutes. He was so lost in his own thoughts that she remained silent, watching the never before seen expressions on his face. Really, if he didn't wear that coat all the time and if he was a little more open he would probably attract as many girls as Sasuke did.

That thought brought a surprisingly dark scowl to the sweet young woman's face, followed by surprise. Was she possessive of Shino? Putting Kiba in the same situation didn't have the same effect. She would be ecstatic for him if he had a girlfriend, as long as she treated him well. Besides, she got the feeling that a blonde girl was interested in the dog using ninja.

Shino though...

She shook away those thoughts. Deep down she knew why it would upset her if Shino had admirers, but knew this wasn't the time to digest the information.

She needed her clothes back.

Shino had uncharacteristically bolted from the room as soon as Hinata had finished her sentence. Not only did he not want to act on the numerous fantasies going on inside his head, he wanted to go hunt down a schemer and her faithful sidekick.

He nearly groaned aloud at the images Hinata created, adding wood to the fire when she deeply blushed. It probably did go all the way...

"Mother! Shibrika!"

Hinata's eyes widened when she saw nothing in front of her. Did he just run away? No, Shino probably went to find her clothing. Still, had that been a blush on his normally pale cheeks?

Hearing loud voices, Hinata carefully stood up and securely wrapped the blanket around her toga-style, hoping it would be appropriate enough to allow her to go and find her teammate and more importantly her outfit.

Walking down the hall, she immediately found a pair of women. One was extremely tall, with short white-blonde hair and electric blue eyes that were seen through lightly shaded square glasses. Hinata could see her chakra levels were above normal citizen ones.

The other woman wasn't hard to guess. She was shorter then Hinata, with a large head of flyaway chocolate hair and dark expressive eyes.

She looked almost exactly like Shino.

She was also screaming at her husband and son, who astonishingly stood in front of her like a pair of scolded school boys.

"What were you two thinking? There's a storm out there! Do you not care about my fears or nerves at all! And Shino! How could you practice with that beautiful young woman in weather like this? Did you want her to get sick?"

Though it was hard to tell, it looked like both men were ashamed, but the woman was warming up in her rant.

"All three of you! What did I say about wearing those ridiculous glasses in the house?! OFF!"

Three pairs of hands shakily removed the glasses from their faces. Hinata stifled a giggle at the mirrored expression of fear on all three faces.

Hearing the small laugh, Shino and Shibi simultaneously turned to see the scantily clad Hinata standing a few feet from them. Both had been so focused on the smaller woman in front of them that they hadn't noticed another chakra presence.

Shino flushed lightly at what she was wearing.

Misao smugly smirked before rounding on the new girl.

"Well, well! You must be the infamous teammate I hear so much about but never get to meet! Kiba's been over here before already, but only to deplete my food supply, but you don't look like the kind of person to scarf down a bunch of food!"

Hinata blushed at the attention, sending a frenzied look at Shino for assistance. New people were always bad news for Hinata and she really didn't want to pass out in only a blanket.

Shino smoothly cut in after receiving the frantic look from the girl.

"Mother, this is Hyuuga Hinata, my other teammate. Hinata, this is my mother, Aburame Misao."

He gave me a few seconds of shy greeting before continuing in an uninterested voice.

"Please Mother, can you and Shibrika get her clothes?"

This was mostly for his benefit. He wasn't sure how much longer he'd stand there with her dressed like that before losing all self-control and pouncing on her.

Shibi saw the look in his son's eyes, one he was very familiar with when it came to his own woman. Catching said person eyes, he gave a tiny nod. He honestly didn't think the girl would take anymore before passing out from hyperventilation.

"Of course! We were just drying them, poor thing, you were completely soaked when Shino brought you in, you're probably still cold huh?"

Hinata was barely able to nod before the woman continued. Shino shot her a long-suffering look.

"Of course you are! Shibrika, be so kind and go start a nice hot bath for our sweet guest. Shibi come help me."

Towing the two adults, she threw a smile at the teenagers before exiting the room.

Silence.

Hinata wasn't sure if she should be confused, horrified, or amused. Turning away from where the three adults left, she caught sight of her teammate's face. It was filled with the exact emotions she was feeling, except that horror was gaining. Watching him stare at the empty space his mother just occupied, Hinata felt something bubble up inside her stomach.

Shino couldn't believe that just happened. Sure his mom could be a little, well, overbearing. But for her to be completely relaxed around Hinata was something he wasn't ready for. The image of her talking nonstop was burnt behind his eyes.

The sound of laughter made him blink. Looking over his mouth dropped at the sight.

Hinata was kneeling on the floor, arms crossed over her midsection, shaking with laughter. It was a pleasant sound, and despite the reason behind it, Shino felt himself smiling at her.

"I apologize for all that," he waved at the empty doorway.

She just laughed harder, stammering from the lack of breathe.

"N-n-no Sh-shino, I j-j-just th-thought i-it w-w-would be d-different."

He just tilted his head, calmly waiting for her to explain. After a few more giggling fits, she sat up and wiped her eyes before fixing him with a smile that clenched his heart.

"I just thought that y-your family would be d-different, I-I'm s-s-sorry f-for l-laughing."

Walking towards her, he offered his hand. Blushing lightly, she took it and straightened up. Hoping that he wasn't mad at her rude display.

"You thought we were all cold and heartless?"

Her smile disappeared instantly.

"N-no! I just didn't th-think it'd be like th-that!"

Only when he smiled did Hinata realize that he was teasing her. Giving him a crooked smile, she shrugged.

"I understand, my mother can be…vibrant at times."

Hinata resisted the urge to collapse into another fit. Instead she took the opportunity to look around. The place was very sparse, with barely any decorations. Did they just not like putting things up? Still, it was much more comfortable then her own house.

Shino watched her look around his house. She had such a content look on her face, it made him want to hold her.

"I like it here, it's…welcoming."

Standing to the side, Hinata threw him a look before continuing.

"At first I thought it'd be like what you said: cold, but it's really the opposite isn't it? Why does your clan avoid social gathering?"

She watched as Shino stiffened slightly, his words short and clipped.

"We know how people dislike…bugs… so we don't push ourselves on them."

Frowning Hinata walked over to stand in front of him, forcing him to make eye contact. His eyes really were a lovely midnight blue. For a moment she let her urges take over her reason. Tentatively reaching up, she trailed a soft fingertip down his cheek, fascinated by the light blush that followed.

"Shino, your eyes are so…pretty."

Shino felt his chest constrict when Hinata timidly touched his face. Holding his breath, he listened to her whispered compliment. Not daring to move in case he did something really stupid.

After what seemed forever, Hinata dropped her hand and stepped away. They both were tinted pink and slightly breathless from the tense moment.

"Hinata? Your bath is ready."

Shibi was still amazed that his wife wasn't a ninja, for all that she stealthily snuck around and schemed. She would have made a perfect spy. Thinking this, he fondly looked down at the woman who was currently showing her skills by spying on what was going on in the room before them.

Leaning back, he closed his eyes and sincerely hoped that those two would figure out what they had. It was so hard for an Aburame male who had a hive to find a partner. Women just weren't attracted to bugs that lived in the body.

There were a few though, who could get use to the idea. Or who were at least not disgusted.

Kissing the top of his wife's head, he motioned for them to press on. Grinning at the heavy sigh Misao made, he stepped back as she loudly stepped into the room. Telling the girl that her bath was ready.

As Hinata followed his mother out of the room, she stole a glance back, smiling when she met the unfathomable eyes of her teammate. With a bubble of happiness bouncing around pleasantly in her stomach, she turned to follow the talking woman.

Once he was completely alone, Shino followed the cooling trail of her fingertip with his own. Underneath his skin, the Kikaichu purred.

A/N: So this chapter was definitely shorter, but I mean the first one was pretty long. Lol. Anyway I'm not sure how this turned out. Bringing in Original characters and trying to keep the Real ones in character was hard! So Sorry for any confusion! Don't worry, it's not all fluff and stuff, this is just..idk.. Introduction chapters. Lol

Thanks for the reviews! They brought rare motivation!


	3. Chapter 3

Sinking lower into the steaming water, Hinata felt the tension in her body relax. Gently tapping her toes against the porcelain tub, she allowed her mind to wander.

Unsurprising it went to a silent young shinobi with social issues as bad as hers.

Well...at least he doesn't pass out at any kind of eye contact.

Still, she smiled up at the ceiling, the look on his face when she touched his cheek. It sent thrills up her spine.

_She_ had caused that.

Numbly, Shino made his way to his room. Closing the door, he let his guard down. With his back pressed against the wall, he let his breath catch up, heart pounding in his chest.

Adrenaline. Delayed reaction.

_"Hinata..."_

Shadows swiftly shifted past darken windows. Landing lightly on the tile roofing, the shrouded figure listened for a moment before raising a gloved hand. Silver flashed in the moonlight. Two more shadows joined the first. After receiving a nod from the leader, they vanished into the night.

"Shiiiiiiiiiino!"

He blanched at the sound, automatically turning to go answer. Next to him, Hinata's eyes widened.

No one screeched in the Hyuuga household...**ever**.

"I must apologize in advance, her and my aunt have...excessive personalities."

Pausing outside the kitchen, Shino looked down into her smiling face. Her pupiless eyes sparkling with mirth.

"No n-need to apologize, I l-like th-them."

Hinata really did like his family. Even though Shino and Shibi were often reserved, the tiny mother made up for that tenfold. His family was obviously close knit, something that went beyond what her clan had. They had strong bonds that weren't held back by rules and obligations. Thinking that brought up a sad picture of Neji.

Nodding once, he took a deep breath, steeling himself against the disaster bound to happen, and walked in.

The _real_ leader of the Aburame clan stood before a huge pot of boiling what smelled like vegetable stew. Both took in deep appreciative breaths before Hinata took a hesitant step forward.

She may be shy but she was the daughter of the Hyuuga clan leader. Manners were hammered into her since birth.

"I-is th-there anything I c-can h-help with?"

Misao fanned a ladle in front of her flushed face, managing to cast a grateful smile back at the young lady.

"Ai, thank you sweety!"

Handing over the ladle, she stepped back to watch the girl begin to expertly stir the soup. She really did have a floral beauty about her. Reminding the older woman of flowers that blossomed in the dead of night, reflecting the moon's light on its glistening petals.

Hiding a smile at the thought, she watched her son out of the corner of her eye.

His dark eyes intently on the oblivious girl's back. A small crease between his brows.

Boy does he have it bad.

Hinata felt two pairs of eyes watching her as she carefully stirred the contents. It was a little unnerving, but she was use to being supervised. Besides, it wasn't a very uncomfortable silence that they had fallen into. A prickling on her senses had her pause. What was that?

"Hinata...?"

Ignoring the woman's question, Hinata sharpened her senses. Setting the spoon down, she swiftly held up her hands.

"Byakugan!"

Shino felt his body tense in response to Hinata's change. Seeing the sudden fierce look of concentration- the look reserved for missions- on her face as she activated her bloodline limit had him silently sending out a small group of Kikaichu.

"Shino?"

Misao stared as the two had transformed from teenagers into highly skilled shinobi the moment the petite girl whipped around with her temple veins bulging in the Hyuuga inheritance.

Watching her spin gracefully on her toes in search of what alerted her gut, Shino felt himself switching into team eight's leader mode. Stepping in sync, the two teammates created an impenetrable wall around the thoroughly confused woman.

"What's going on?"

Before they could answer, a frightening presence appeared before what it thought was the weaker shinobi. Standing several feet in front of the pale girl, the ninja threw three kunai. A smirk appeared behind his face mask: this was going to be too easy.

Hinata saw the attack before the assassin appeared, swinging a deadly accurate arm arc; she easily dispatched the weapons aimed for her. All thought of weakness disappeared as she realized that it was Shino's mother that they were after.

Misao's hand clutched at her heart and midsection as the kunai thudded into the cabinets. The figure in front of them was entirely covered in black material, making it impossible to decipher gender or village. She nearly jumped at the sound of her son's voice whispering in her ear.

"Stay calm."

The color drained from her face. That wasn't the voice she normally heard from her son.

It was the silky whisper of a killer.

Hinata's eyes never left the masked face. Only their eyes were visibly, a dark green color, like rotting leaves. Her face hardened further when they tried to feint past her. Mirroring their moves, she slowly pushed the person back and away from the two behind.

"Hinata!"

Shino forced himself to stay where he was as a second figure appeared to the side of the waiting girl. Suddenly it was a blur as the three began a full battle. A swirl of emotions were riding the adrenaline as he watched the one person truly precious to him fight. Where was his father? He should have been here the instant they attacked.

Shino's voice was a bit late; she already knew the danger as a new chakra signature showed up beside her. Barely able to duck the blow to her head, she quickly slid out a leg to knock the opponents out from under him; her hand following it with a lethal series of blows to their arm. Feeling the other moving in, she gracefully brought her leg full circle, rising as she met the shocked assassin's jaw with her foot. The satisfying sound of bone crunching resounded in the kitchen.

Misao watched in stunned awe as the girl and unknown shinobis fought on. Shino's teammate didn't even look like she was fighting, all her pivots and drops looked like a perfectly executed dance, while her partners stumbled.

Hinata had to win this; she would not let them hurt Misao. Thinking this, she blocked the blow aimed at her ribs and quickly sent numerous Gentle Fist touches to the attackers tenketsus. Sensing his chakra blocked she sent a swift touch to his head, sufficiently rendering his unconscious before turning back to the remaining one.

The first blow was in her back, hard.

Stumbling, she almost growled at the mistake she had made. In multiple attacks, never lose sight of any person. Fool!

Angrily, she quickened her pace, only to see that this one could keep up.

The second blow was to her side, catching her breath.

Shino saw her waver after taking one down. She wasn't use to multiple people attacking her and he knew she wouldn't use her Trigram Sixty-Palms in fear of hurting him or his mom. Knowing her, she wouldn't even risk using chakra blades. Hearing the second thud of her opponent making contact to her side, he felt something snap.

Now, in normal missions Shino generally tried to look after everyone, feeling that he was responsible for those around him. But when things got bad, Hinata was all that clouded his mind, he wouldn't even think. Just followed his Kikaichu's instincts and saved her. Not that she really needed protecting; the girl was scary when her friends were in serious danger.

Knowing this didn't stop the rage from boiling over when he saw the shot of pain that crossed her face.

Nor did it stop him from reacting.

Misao felt rather then saw her son leave his spot from behind her. Still, she uneasily glanced behind her to confirm her maternal instincts before looking back at the fight.

And gasped.

Shino was behind them before they could even look. Hinata double glanced at the startling look of rage on his uncovered face, before leaping back and letting him take over. Standing in a defensive stance, she scanned the area for anyone else. No one.

Odd, weren't there always at least three?

Shino wasn't one for physical combat, but this was the perfect opportunity to vent some inner demons. His Kikaichu invisibly made their way up the persons sleeve as they began.

Shibi arrived precisely two minutes after the last one collapsed into a heap. Unaccustomed to fighting without his glasses Shino absently brought his hand up to push the shades back when he realized that they weren't there.

Stupid rule.

With a suspicious frown he turned towards his father the same time Hinata did.

"Where were you?"

Misao gasped at the tone her son used to his father.

Shibi only nodded at his son and teammate's caution. His dark brown eyes never left his son's.

"I was taking care of the third."

With that he pulled out the third mask and dropped it. It fell between them.

"Where?"

He would have grinned if the situation wasn't so serious. Shino was turning out to be quite some ninja.

"Garden."

Hinata felt the glance and nodded, closing her eyes briefly.

"Byakugan!"

Looking around, she quickly found the body. Making sure it was really the actual body and not simply disguise, she made her way back. Landing lightly in front of Shino she nodded once, before turning to the oddly silent woman behind her. The hard shell melted from her face, replaced by shy concern.

"M-misao? A-a-are y-ou o-okay?"

The woman wasn't sure, her stomach was fluttering uncomfortably, she felt light headed, and the reality of what just happened finally sunk in. Luckily her husband was there as she slowly slip into the ground. His scent of trees calming her frazzled senses.

"Misao?"

She merely sighed, closing her eyes.

"I'll take her to her room; I sent some of my bugs to get your aunt and uncle. They will be here shortly."

Hinata watched detached as Shino tied the bodies up. He was tense, making his movements jerky.

She didn't know what to say, now that the immediate danger was gone all she wanted was to sit something dark and shake. She didn't even notice them until they were upon them.

Too close.

"Hinata?"

Looking up, she tried to focus her eyes. A dull pain was beginning behind them, the result of prolong use of the byakugan. Shino was standing in front of her, his eyes full of questions.

"S-sorry Shino, I w-was j-just th-th-thinking."

Shino looked at her with poorly veiled concern. Her eyes were squinting slightly, as if the lights were hurting them. He knew that she developed headaches from using her bloodline limit too much, but she would never let him or Kiba do anything for her. She never wanted to be a burden. He fumbled around for something to say when the sound of footsteps hurrying towards them brought their heads up in attention.

He saw Hinata's foot slip back in formation and couldn't help but inwardly smirk. She was so vicious when it came to protecting someone.

"Relax; it's my aunt and uncle."

Hinata relaxed a little when two people crashed through the doorway. One was the tall blonde woman that was there earlier while the other was another Aburame man.

Hinata watched as a dark expression took over the man's face. His brown hair was cropped, sunglasses in place. They barely concealed the diagonal scars running down his eyes. His coat was long, black and frayed on the edges. He was no one near the woman's height. Hinata could hear the low hum of Kikaichu.

"Where is she?"

His gravelly voice sent the hairs on the back of her neck straight up. He was...creepy. Looking at him, she tried to hide her fear but sensed that he'd see through her anyway.

"Shibi took her up to her room."

Shino wasn't quite sure what happened to his uncle. No one in that generation wanted to talk about it and there was no way in hell he was going to bring it up. The man carried an air around him that alerted anyone who was near that he was dangerous and not to be trifled with. Next to him Hinata unconsciously stepped closer to him, nervous of this intimidating new person. He held back the urge to take her hand.

"Who took them out? Shibi?"

The teens gratefully looked at the tall woman. She had only spoken to relieve the tension her brother was creating. In fact, she was slightly put out. He didn't have to be so...gothic about everything. Plus, the young Hyuuga looked like one minute longer and she'd pass out again. Honestly, that girl was a shinobi?

"No, we did, mostly Hinata."

Shino watched with satisfaction as the woman looked surprised and mildly embarrassed. He knew that she thought Hinata was weak, and felt pleasure in putting her in her place. A raised eyebrow followed that, her voice amused at her nephew's jab.

"Well, lucky we had her here then wasn't it?"

Hinata blushed brightly, looking at the ground to escape their stares.

"I-I r-really d-d-didn't d-do a-a-anything."

Shino frowned. There she goes again, never taking any credit for herself.

"Yes you did, don't take your accomplishments from yourself."

She didn't answer, just flushed deeper at the scolding.

"Yes, well we need to focus on what just happened." Shibi walked in the room, reserved as ever. Only his siblings saw the anger behind the eyes. No one lived if they threatened an Aburame, especially an Aburame's wife.

Opening his mouth, he was surprised when a shy voice cut through.

"W-why w-w-would a-anyone want to h-h-hurt Misao or th-the b-b-b-b-baby?"

They all stared at her, a union of shock. Even the frightening one was surprised at the girl.

Shino turned towards her, quizzically looking at her.

"How did you know?"

Not that he was really all that surprised. Hinata was so attuned with others that she was sometimes extremely accurate with how they were feeling, physically and emotionally.

For a brief moment he wondered if she knew how he really felt about her and just chose to ignore it. An apprehensive ripple shot through his body. Did she know and just didn't want to hurt him by putting him down? But then, if that was true why would she have touched his cheek the way she did? The gesture had seemed more then friendly.

Or maybe he was just making it out to be that way because he wanted it to be.

"W-well, I j-just n-noticed?"

Hinata wasn't very good at explaining how she knew things that others usually didn't. Kiba blamed it on her Hyuuga ability to see through people, but even then, she understood people better than Neji. Shino 

had simply said he thought it was just an extra sense she had and that they should hone it to use on missions.

Feeling everyone's eyes on her, she felt compelled to explain but also hesitation because she didn't _want _to explain. This was her one thing, like the specialized jutsu she taught herself. If she had to clarify, it would feel as if she was giving away all her trade secrets.

Shibi merely nodded, letting it go at the expression of indecision on the sweet girls face. Some abilities were meant to be used and not exposed, any Aburame would understand that. After all, who could let destruction bugs live in their body without being eaten alive or never have enough chakra?

The lives of shinobi were often layered with secrets.

"That's great and all but why the hell would anyone want to hurt let alone kill Misao?"

Shibrika was not patient. Her sister-in-law was attacked and she wanted to hurt someone, badly.

"We need to talk to the Hokage. She needs to know."

Shino, second voice of reason, gave his aunt a look before turning to his father. Hinata's eyes were half closed, her head tilted to the left slightly. As if she was listening to something they couldn't hear.

"Hinata and I will go tell Tsunade what transpired."

The adults nodded. Shino saw the sadistic look on his aunt's face as she turned towards the restrained attackers.

"Nothing should happen to our prisoners until we get a decision from her."

A dark glare founds his eyes. Shibi followed them as they made their way to leave. Watching his son slip on the traditional sunglasses. The girl was a little ways ahead of them. He waited till they were outside and away from his younger brother before he spoke.

"Shino," he looked over at the girl, who was scouting, "she must realize that your mother's pregnancy must be kept secret."

Shino's face didn't change but he felt irritation at his father.

"Hinata would never betray us."

The girl in question appeared beside him, her Byukagan activated, she acted like she didn't hear their hush conversation. Shino knew better. He remembered the time when Kiba muttered something to Akamaru across the training grounds about a move they should do against Hinata. Just as they were about to make their move, she had appeared besides them, smiling while telling them that it was the wrong choice and to whisper softer next time. They had all been stunned at her hearing.

"It's clear, we'll be back soon."

Shibi only nodded, pushing away the small guilt he had at thinking that this girl would give away the clans secret. Well, he thought tiredly as he watched them fade away into the night, it obviously wasn't 

that secret since they were attacked. Thinking of that, he made his way back towards his siblings. He definitely did not want to explain to Tsunade how the captured ninja's were killed because of his sister's impatience.

Shizume hurriedly ushered the two shinobi into the Hokage's office. Sitting at the desk, even Shino felt a moments apprehension when he saw the thunder cloud expression on the groggy woman. Dark circles were under her eyes and her usually tidy hair was sticking up like a scarecrows.

In front of her was a tiny provision of sake, something her assistant probably had to use to bait her out of bed.

Hinata jumped when the woman finally spoke.

"Well it better be a really, _really _good reason why I was woken up at this god forsaken hour."

She looked between the two with one eye closed, hand hovering above the cup. Kids never understood the importance of sleep. It was always go, go, go to them. Just like that damn kid, Naruto. Thank heavens that toad pervert took the brat with him.

"Well?!"

Hinata jumped again.

"My mother was attacked by three skilled assassins about an hour ago."

That got the two women's attention. Tsunade straightened in her chair, giving a small nod to Shizume.

"Tell me everything."

As the young man explained all that happened, the woman quickly woke up. This was serious. The Aburame clan was very important to the Hidden Leaf village. They were a big group and an attempt on any of them, let alone the leader's wife, could turn ugly very fast. As the shinobi finished telling her, she took a moment to gather her sleep-deprived thoughts. Sometimes, being Hokage sucked.

"I want them brought here to me, straight away," she paused before directing this specifically at Shino, "and I want them _unharmed_." Standing up she turned to look out the window. It really pissed her off when someone tried to hurt her people, yeah _her_ people.

Her breath fogged the window, making the night sky blurry.

"Hinata?"

The girl stepped forward, blushing at her medical mentor. Deep down she was a very kind and insightful woman, but her exterior was frightening.

"Yes Lady Tsunade?"

The woman turned around, her amber eyes gently looking into translucent lavender. Really, the Hyuuga girl was so strong but her lack of confidence made it so difficult for her to open up and be the warrior Tsunade knew she was.

"You did very well tonight."

Hinata's pleased face turned several shades of vermillion. Lady Tsunade complimented her!

"Th-th-thank y-y-you."

The Hokage turned business like as she walked around the desk to stand in front of them. Her shrewd eyes didn't miss the gleam of pride and wistfulness that shadowed across the Aburame heir's face. Why do the genius's always try to hide their feelings? Just like that damn Nara kid with his Suna girlfriend.

Unlucky for them that she was cruel enough to put them in situations that toyed with their feelings. Being Hokage had to have some upside quirks right?

"I'm going to send a group of ANBU to scour for more information but in the mean time I want team eight on protection duty. Protecting the unborn child of Shibi and Misao Aburame is crucial."

She hid a smirk at the shock on their faces. Honestly, did they think she wouldn't know?

"This will require care; I do not want word getting out about what you guys are doing. Make sure it doesn't seem like you are on duty to outsiders. Even the rest of the Aburame clan. We must be cautious, although their intent is clear, we do not have the reasons behind it yet."

The two nodded, matching looks of seriousness on their faces. Tsunade had no doubt that this team would be excellent protection. They had the skills and team work for it.

"That is it, you may go."

Tsunade closed her eyes and counted to ten, making sure the two were well out of earshot before letting a growl out of her throat. All this meant was that she wasn't going to be able to rest properly for the next week. This village sucked!

"Kiba, we gotta go!"

Shino watched from the window as Hinata gently shook their sleeping partner. They didn't want to wake up his family and have to lie about the mission, so they walked up the wall to his window. It was always open, no matter the weather, so it was easy to climb through.

Now they had been trying to quietly wake the boy for the last two minutes. Akamaru had looked up sleepily when Hinata silently walked to the bed, wagging his tail at the sight of her. Patting the huge dogs head, she put her fingers to her lips to get the message across. Then turned to start the laborious job of getting Kiba up.

Ironically, Kiba and Hinata were not light sleepers. Once they went to bed, they were out till the next morning. Shino on the other hand, was a very light sleeper and had been woken up multiple times by his teammates moving around in their sleep. Hinata moved less then Kiba, who was known to kick, so she slept in-between the two boys.

Watching Hinata try to do the impossible now, Shino inwardly sighed before going to the mat. Leaning down he did the one thing Kiba disliked.

He let his Kikaichu crawl over his teammates face.

Hinata saw what Shino was doing and quickly stepped back several feet. This was never good and she almost felt like frowning at Shino when he let a handful of his bugs crawl onto the sleeping boys face. Kiba really did hate that. The Kikaichu had a very faint scent that only Kiba and Akamaru could detect and for some reason it really irritated Kiba's nose, sending him into sneezing fits that could last hours.

It completely silent as the three waited for the smell to hit his nose.

The noise would have been explosive, if Akamaru hadn't practically lain on Kiba's face. Shino had wisely recalled his bugs before the big dog slouched over the teen. Still, Hinata worriedly glanced at the door when the muffled sneeze went off, followed by a colorful string of swearwords.

This time Hinata did let a small frown form on her face.

Shoving the dog off him, Kiba jumped up from his sleeping mat, ready to kill the stupid insect boy. Unfortunately righting himself too fast made the room spin as he felt another sneeze start building. Clamping a hand over his nose, he glared daggers at Shino.

"'upid..a..ole"

Hinata danced to his side, her lips barely moving as she rapidly informed him on what was going on. Shino invisibly frowned as the girl lightly rested her hand on the heavily fuming young man. Behind his glasses his eyes narrowed at the closeness of her soft lips and their partner's ear.

This was not the time. Shaking his head, he turned and leapt out the window, landing with a soft thud on the grass below. A few seconds later the other three joined him as they raced off to the Aburame mansion.

Hinata was exhausted. After reaching the house to find that everyone had left except for Shibi and Misao. He informed them that the others had taken the prisoners to Tsunade and then were going to scout around to see if they found anything relating to what happened. They had then went around the house and set up traps, barriers, warnings, etc.

After a quick discussion, Shibi had told them he would take first watch and that they should go get sleep, he would wake the next one in a few hours.

Following Shino down the hall, it was all Hinata could do from dragging her feet. It had been a long day and her chakra was low from the earlier fight. Going to the mat where she had woken up to, she let herself drop like a rock.

The pain behind her eyes had developed into a full headache. Pressing her face into the cool material, she listened to the movements of her friends.

Kiba and Shino shared a glance before placing their mats on either side of Hinata's bed. They saw how she winced at the light when they had first stepped into the room. Both knew better then to bring it up, she would only brush their concern off and play it down.

Having been woken up, Kiba easily fell asleep again, an arm around the softly snoring Akamaru.

Shino waited until two set of snores told him that both were asleep. Lifting his head off his pillow, he saw that Kiba had his back to them, spooning his dog. A grin appeared on the stoic Aburame's face when he thought of all the remarks he could use to tease Kiba and how he slept.

The guy made it too easy sometimes.

Shaking his head, he looked down at his original focus. Her head was buried under the pillow, limbs sprawled out around her. It was unusual for the girl to just lay down like that without neatly getting into her sleeping bag. He leaned closer till his mouth was millimeters away from the pillow before quietly whispering.

"Hinata?"

The pillow stirred, and then a single eye appeared. He watched as it widened at his closeness, then disappeared again. Her response was barely audible through the material.

"Y-y-yes, Sh-sh-shino?"

Under the pillow, Hinata tried to control her racing pulse. Peeking out, she hadn't realized how close he was. Still, he was probably hurt at her for hiding under the pillow again. If she had leaned a little closer, their lips would have touched.

Furiously blushing, she moved the pillow out of the way. They were comrades, nothing more. He was, well, he deserved better then a failure.

"I know your eyes hurt"

She blinked slowly, was he expecting her to lie? She couldn't ignore the hint of concern in his voice, nor the fact that he had removed his glasses. Slowly, she shook her head.

"They do not hurt too ba…."

She fell silent as he raised his hand and rested it lightly on one temple. It was pleasantly cool, helping the warm ache. Without realizing it, she sighed happily and closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Shino."

His answer was noiselessly sitting up and placing his other hand on the opposite temple. For once, he was happy that his body temperature was abnormally colder. Leaning over her serene face, Shino closed his own eyes, fighting the images in his mind. She was so close; he could easily bend down and kiss her, something he's been wanting to do for such a long time.

Opening her eyes, Hinata was surprised to see Shino leaning over her, eyes closed with a pained expression on his face. His hands cooled the headache away and she was going to thank him again when she opened her eyes. But seeing that expression, she stopped herself from speaking, watching his mouth grimace with whatever he was thinking.

What was he thinking?

Her hands hesitated above his, wanting to reach down and touch them, but not wanting to startle him. She didn't know if he would be upset if she did.

When did chickens ever succeed?

With that thought firmly in mind, she wrapped her hands around his wrist.

Shino jumped at the contact, breaking his thoughts. Looking down he saw the loveliest sight: her black hair glistened blue in the dim light, soft eyes looking up at him. He could make out the barest of blushes on her cheeks.

She was absolutely beautiful.

And absolutely tempting.

Hinata worriedly frowned when Shino closed his eyes again and groaned softly. This was so unlike him, was he okay? Did he get hurt? Fearing that she missed something, she pushed herself up, forcing him to sit back. She reached out a hand to touch his face, but after a hesitant moment she dropped it back to her lap.

"Shino? Are you hurt?"

She prepared herself to use some of the green hue of healing chakra.

He groaned again, casting such a shocking look of agony that she felt a flutter of panic in her chest. Shino never looked like that! This time her hand did clasp his shoulder. Her whisper urgent in the dark,

"Shino! What is it? Where does it hurt?!"

Dropping his hands from his face, she was seized with the urge to move away from him as his gleaming dark eyes caught and held her own.

"It..hurts…..everywhere.."

Hinata frowned, but couldn't look away. His eyes wouldn't release hers.

"I-I d-don't u-u-understand."

Bringing a hand up, he took the one she had on his shoulder and slid it down to rest above his wildly racing heart. Watching her eyes widen at the instable beat.

Slowly, very slowly, Hinata took a visibly shaking hand, grabbed Shino's free one and place it on her own frantic beat.

A/N: So this is Chapter three (does little dance) I'm not sure how the fight and family scenes went.. (scratches back of head sheepishly) this really wasn't suppose to have a lot of fluff but…(sighs) I just can't write about those cute without _some_ fluff.. hehe

Did ya think they were going to kiss? Huh? Huh? Lol that was my small evil moment I suppose


	4. Chapter 4

A second, minute, or hour. Hinata wasn't sure how much time passed.

And _it didn't matter_.

She was so happy, it was as if she swallowed hot tea and instead of burning her mouth, it created fire throughout her whole body. Threatening to consume all of her. She would gladly let it, as long as she didn't have to move.

By now both heart beats had slowed down; synchronizing to the other until it seemed as if they were one.

There were no words, none were needed. The moment they had decided to let all walls down was the moment talking ceased to be necessary.

They weren't dangerously skilled ninja. Nor were they children. Looking into the other's eyes they were two young teenagers who had lived in an untouchable place, either too afraid or too insecure to reach out.

Outside the last remaining clouds lazily disappeared, leaving the crescent moon to shine through the small window. Shino watched the sliver of light reflect in the girls eyes.

Showing the dark bags under her eyes.

Finally breaking the moment, he reached up to brush the hair out of her face. His chest tightening when her eyes drifted close at the touch.

"You look…terrible."

Her eyes popped open in shock. What did he just…? She paused when his serious expression remained. Removing her hand from him, she hid the hurt that his words made.

"I-I'm s-s-s-sorry."

Turning away from him, she bit her lip in frustration as the tears pricked her eyes. What a stupid thing to cry over, she knew that she wasn't beautiful like Ino or Sakura. What did she expect from someone as handsome and smart as Shino? Lying down, she turned towards Kiba's prone form.

"Hinata, I meant that you looked tired."

Shino could have kicked himself for saying the first words that came to his mind. 'You look terrible'? No wonder he had no friends for so long. Seeing her turn away, he knew she was hurt from his idiocy. Even if she just nodded at his words.

He almost went to bed after that, fearing that he'd just make things worse if he opened his mouth again, but tonight he was feeling brave. So ignoring the cautious side of him, he leaned forward for a second time that night and gently turned the girl towards him.

Wide eyes shone with unshed tears.

"Hinata, honest, I meant you needed sleep," he took a deep breath before plunging forward, "I ..you've always been beautiful to me."

She seemed to have turn to stone, several seconds passed before a slow furious blush spread across her cheeks.

"Th-th-thank y-y-you."

He held her eyes for a few more minutes before reluctantly turning away towards his own bedding. After getting situated he rolled towards her, seeing that she had rolled onto her side to face him also. Reaching out, he gently took hold of the hand that was free, entwining their fingers.

The last thing Hinata saw before exhaustion took her was the content look on Shino's face as he fell asleep.

Several hours had passed when Shibi finally sought out the next person to keep watch. Silently walking into his son's room he paused to take in the scene before him.

A slow genuine smile made its way to his lips as he took in the intertwined fingers of his son and Hyuuga girl, both facing the other. Shaking his head at the timing of the two, he made his way towards the sprawled shinobi and his horse-of-a-dog.

Two hours later, Shino felt the thrum of his Kikaichu, warning him that someone was near.

Just as Kiba was reaching down to roughly shake his teammate awake, Shino's eyes opened with a glare.

"Almost, nice try."

Scowling at being thwarted, he made his way to the other side of Hinata.

Slipping on his sunglasses he made his way to the door without looking back. Now was not the time for distractions. Reaching the most central room, he quietly stood by the window, angling himself with the shadows to remain invisible to people from the outside.

Who would want to harm an unborn child?

It wasn't his mother they were after, cause in the way of the shinobi, she was not important enough to kill. There were more important people to kill then the Aburame leader's wife. Even his unborn sibling.

Why would anyone want to kill them? It wasn't even an heir, he was.

Deep in thought, Shino didn't notice the time pass until he heard light steps coming towards him. Hinata's face appeared around the corner, her hand shifting something in her pouch. Looking back up she smile shyly at him.

"H-hey Sh-shino, I woke up and th-thought I m-might a-as well s-switch with you."

She looked around the room with eyes heavily lidded, as if she was listening for something only she could hear. This reminded him of something.

"Why do you do that?"

Pink tinged her cheeks but she answered him without the usual timidness.

"I listen to everything, sometimes I can hear intruders, sometimes I can't."

Looking at her raised hand Shino saw the inward look on her face and knew that she was talking more to herself then to him.

"Neji taught me to do after the failed mission in retrieving Sasuke. It's not really a special kind of jutsu or anything, just something he learned to do during his training."

All he did was nod, turning to look back out the window.

"Why do they want to kill your mother Shino, nothing about this seems right."

Staring out at the sleeping world, she frowned as she thought about the attack earlier. Unknowingly Shino was thinking similar thoughts.

"I'm not sure."

He resisted the urge to roll his shoulders, not wanting to relieve the tension. He had to keep himself tense and in control.

"Are we even sure they were after them? Or was it one of us? I don't think elite assassins would miss a mark that only had two chuuin."

They fell into silence as the night slowly began to fade into dawn. They both ignore the humming of Kikaichu, who have been acting up everytime Shino was around Hinata. As if they were voicing their approval of the two.

"Hey guys, how long have you been up Hinata?"

Kiba and Akamaru trudged towards him, wide-eyed with energy that would compete with Naruto.

Hinata turned with a smile."

"Not too long."

He nodded as the three turned to watch the sun rise with a dazzling display of pinks and blue. Absently he wondered what an infuriating blonde was doing at the moment. She never slept in if it meant wasting a day. Raising a hand to run through the messily cropped hair, he bit back a smile at the reason behind the new hair style.

"_Geez Kiba, do you plan on keeping that mane forever?" _

Hearing that aggravating voice in his head, he shook himself and turned to find Hinata smiling up at him in knowing. He never actually admitted to liking Ino, but he didn't need to, Hinata saw right through him with those eyes.

"Good, you're all up."

They turned as one to see Shibi come out of the kitchen. Looking at him and his intimidating appearance, Hinata found it hard to see how anyone would want to mess with his family.

"I am going to stop by and see the Hokage, we have many things to discuss. I shall be back later in the day."

Seeing them nod, he turned directions and made his way out of the house.

"Cooooome and geeeeettt it!"

Kiba's eyebrows vanished under his bangs at the yell that vibrated the house. Was it an attack?

Shino let out a small sigh.

Hinata giggled, leading them to the kitchen where Misao was cooking a feast.

The three shinobi blinked. Food was covering the tables, filling the air with delicious aromas.

The woman turned with a wide grin. Waving them to the table with a spatula.

"Now I know you all are on 'duty' but from what I've learned, ninjas need food too and I knew Kiba and that horse of his would be here so I started early."

The latter snorted at the description. Causing her to laugh and put a huge bowl of food on the ground. Fixing the huge dog with a grim eye.

"If you spill, I'll kill."

Akamaru visibly gulped. Misao nodded with approval at the dogs fear.

Shino and Kiba were already shoveling food onto the table while Hinata delicately taking her time, smiling when Misao sat down by her.

The mother fixed the boys with the same look she gave Akamaru.

"The same goes for you both too."

They nodded with their mouths full. Hinata stared at the uncharacteristic behavior from Shino. Usually he was so…well..feminine when eating, but now, now he resembled the person woofing down the food next to him.

Seeing the raised eyebrows on the girl, Misao laughed loudly.

"It's only at home; he actually eats like a pig."

The mystified girl only nodded as the subject frowned at the women. Kiba laughed, causing bits of food to fall out of his mouth.

Misao's eyes narrowed dangerously. He shrugged uneasily.

"m 'orrwy."

Hinata giggled at the sight. It was like a scene from a book. Like they were a family, enjoying a simple meal together.

Hiashi's dinner were never like this, though they had gotten better.

"'ata 'ant ome ba'on?"

Kiba's distorted question ended her thoughts on her family. Looking into her kind friends eyes and bulging mouth. She gave him a rare, full, genuine smile before shaking her head. Watching him shrug and 

shove the piece of bacon into his mouth, she silently thanked any higher power for giving her these two boys.

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A/N: I know this was _depressingly_ short, but I'm graduating this week. Thus my lazy carcass has to actually **start** working on all the final projects and essays that are due by Wednesday. It's such a drag. So in advance, I will most likely not update for the next couples day. Not only because of all the "excitement" of graduating, but also cause I'm stuck with how I want this story to go. It was suppose to end three chapters ago, but decided it didn't want to.

Thanks for the reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I'm back! And tired! You think I'd have slept in after graduating….nooooo I went and bought a puppy, then went camping with said puppy that needed to go potty at all hours of the night and early morning XD. So I haven't forgotten Shino and Hinata, they have been in my head all weekend. Once Indy (puppy, I tried to name her Hinata XD but it was a no go with the family) and I get into a routine with each other I'll be posting like a maniac. Anyway, this chapter might not be as good as the others, actually it's super, super short ( but I'll make up for it soon, think of it as a transition chapter XD.

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Misao looked at the scene before her, a small smile upon her full lips. Three shinobi were centered around her, all deceivingly calm.

The Inuzuka boy and his nin-dog were casually sprawled out in front of the windows, soaking up the sun that shined. He really was good kid, if a bit brash. A little like herself.

Tilting her head, she caught the glossy blue shine of the Hyuuga girl's hair. Now she was a mystery, the whole clan was. Seeing the girl sit with her back straight against the wall, she pursed her mouth. There was something about her that changed the cold exterior that the Aburame men inherited. She trailed her eyes to her son.

Shino was on the seat, inches away from her, with those _damn _glasses covering beautiful eyes. The only thing the bugs that lived inside their bodies couldn't be near and all the Aburame men felt like they had to cover them with those _damn_ glasses. Still, even with them on, she could still interpret most of his expressions.

After all, she was the one who carried him for nine months. No bug will ever understand the bond between mother and child. It wasn't something that was acquired or earned. It was as apart of them as their blood, flowing through their veins till death.

Placing a palm on the growing bump on her stomach she felt the first pang of apprehension.

Were they really trying to hurt her baby?

The thought sent blood curdling fear through her sensitive body. Shibi, Shino, and the unborn child were her life and if anything ever happened to them she ….

"I made some tea and snacks, would you two like some?"

Hinata's soft sweet voice broke through the disturbing scenarios that were playing in Misao's mind. Looking up through a haze, she saw the masked intelligence and humility in the wide orbs staring down into hers.

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

Delicately giving the cup to the distracted woman, Hinata felt concealed worry in the shaded eyes of the shinobi. As she straightened, she caught Shino's eyes over the rim of his glasses. After chattering for an hour about the oncoming baby, Misao had slowly fell silent, an unusually thing for the chatty woman.

Hinata had been contemplating the change in her relationship with Shino when she saw a frightened expression cross Misao's face, her small hand coming up to rest on her stomach. Knowing without having to look, Hinata knew that Kiba and Shino were watching the woman too. Getting up, she had gone to the kitchen and after a few minutes of searching found some cookies and tea. Cookies were always a good distraction.

Now, standing a few inches away from them, she saw how tired the woman really was. Dark circles made her face look ashen and frail. Hinata knew that too much stress would be bad for the baby. She had to get Misao to relax, even if Shibi was taking a long time.

"Misao, why d-don't y-you go l-l-lay down?"

She flushed when the woman silently nodded before getting up. It was obvious that she was still off in whatever she was thinking but sleep had to be better than waiting up worrying.

"Ai, I think I will. Thank you."

As soon as she left the room with a small wave, Kiba opened his eyes and sat up. All casual tranquility gone from his features as he took a deep breath. A line formed between the girl's brows as she activated her bloodline. Shino simply waited.

"I don't sense anything, Hinata."

Shaking her head, she restored her eyes and turned towards the two, as they formed into a wide triangle. Sharing a moment of contemplative silence, Shino was the first to speak.

"Too long."

Kiba nodded while Akamaru whined quietly. Hinata seemed deep in thought, a crease deepening in her brow. They watched her, waiting for her thoughts.

"Hinata?"

She really wasn't prone to zoning out during a mission, but something at the back of her mind kept tugging at her attention. Something wasn't right about this situation, but no matter how hard she thought about it she could not figure it out.

It was so annoying.

Hearing Shino's voice sent her mind into another tornado of new thoughts. She never wanted a relationship with someone, friendship had always been enough. Probably because it was hard for her to create friendship, being shy and having a terrible stammer. Besides Kurenai-sensai, her teammates were her first real friends.

Would it be wrong if she took one of those friendships to the next level? She didn't even know what the next level would be; let alone how to get there.

"Hinata?"

Blinking slowly she forced her thoughts onto the present.

"We d-d-don't k-know if M-misao was th-th-the t-t-target, d-do w-we?"

Looking up she saw the boy's stares and flushed.

"O-of c-c-course, h-h-how s-s-stupid of m-me."

Shino frown darker and shared an equally dark look with Kiba.

"Good point, did any attacker actually make a move for your mom?"

The two boys thought for a moment before Shino voiced his new and startling thoughts.

"Actually, the only person who has been affected is Hinata."

Akamaru growled as the weight as the information set in. Shino tried to settle the rage that unfurled in his chest. People were threatening the women of his life and he was not going to tolerate it. Things had been looking up for him and then some stupid _bastard_ came and put it on halt again.

"Shino what are we going to do?"

Kiba felt the Intent to Kill filling the air around his teammate. Shino was intimating on a good day, when it a bad day set in it was downright chilling and he knew that if the young man wasn't distracted then something definitely bad will happen. Hinata didn't seem to notice, her brow was furrowed again and her head tilted as if something else was catching her attention.

That was it, Hinata recognized the chakra signature, and it was distinctly foreign. Ignoring the questioning look from Kiba, she turned away from the two and focused somewhere to the left, clasping her hands in front of her in a moment of concentration.

"Byakugan."

Looking around with her bloodline limit was similar to looking through binoculars on the top of a building, seeing more than anyone else could. Looking now, she saw what she had been feeling before in the seconds before they were attacked.

Shino finally had his anger under control, fighting back the murderous feeling that threatened to take over all rational thinking. In the angers place was now a steel firm resolve: no one was going to get near _his_ Hinata.

"Someone's coming, the same as before."

Before she finished, Hinata was out the door, racing to meet the intruder before they could get any closer to the others. If what Shino said was true and if they were after her, she wasn't about to put the people who were precious to her in any unnecessary risk.

Shino would be furious at her later for leaving them behind. Kiba and Akamaru would probably pout for being left out of the fight but she had to protect them first.

"Fuck."

Kiba stared open mouthed at Shino as he cursed harshly before sprinting after the girl. That had to be the first real cuss-word to ever come out of his teammate's mouth. It would have brought a smile to his face if it had been another day but now was too serious and he was too full of worry to allow even the smallest smile.

Things had gotten worse than he had thought and he didn't even know what really happened. Was that really the first time that they were attacked or had there been earlier times that they weren't aware of? The thought of unknowingly being spied upon really irked the boy. He after all had an extra heightened sense of smell; he should have caught any unknown scents before they could get close.

Something else was going on too, when did Hinata take such initiative in attacking rather than waiting in a defensive position? She was always so practical that her running off seemed so out of character. Did someone say something? Or was it really her?

With that last thought in his mind, he increased his speed.

Shino was _pissed. _

Who the hell did she think she was to take off without back up, and to an unknown enemy too? She did not hear them earlier talking about the possibility that maybe she was the one who was being targeted and not his mother?

Worry had him putting spurts of chakra into his feet for increase speed.

Hinata felt her full ninja mode take over as a cloaked figure appeared in the spot that she guessed he was right. She knew it was male, though she didn't know how she knew. In truth she didn't know what she was doing, running off with pure instinct. Usually Kiba was the impulsive one that they had to chase down and save.

Shurikens flying inches past her face had Hinata slamming on her breaks, sending dirt into the air as her small feet slid with the halt. A chuckle reached her ears as she straightened up.

"You are not as bad as you seem, no?"

The high pitch voice was almost painful as Hinata murmured "Byakugan". She didn't know what was going on, but she was about to find out.

"What do you want?"

The answer a series of hand signs that had the color fading from her face.

AN: Again I'm so sorry for the disjointed/short chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

He had signed so fast that his hands had been a blur, giving her no hint as to what forbidden jutsu he was performing.

Sliding her foot back to rest on her toes, she took several calming breaths, taking in the situation. He (she was sure it was male) was dressed similar to the others, covered entirely in black material. Staring into his masked face, only oddly sheen eyes with a strange pupiless hue of gold she felt her stomach drop, gasping out loud without thinking.

"Y-y-y-you're a…..a H-hyuuga!"

The low chuckle was all she needed to hear to know that she spoke the truth. Reaching back, she lightly rested a hand in her pouch, fixing the man with a cool glare.

"Why?"

She wasn't sure what she wanted to know. Why her? Why Misao? All she knew was that the betrayal was deep and this was sure to become a political war.

"Ah, so many questions in that one word, it's hard to say really. I, among others, have been ordered to kill…"

At that moment Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru showed up, cutting him off. Hinata could have screamed in frustration, as they stopped several yards away. Glancing at her teammates, she doubled back in order to take in the frightening look on Shino's face, feeling apprehension roll in her chest.

"Hinata!"

Kiba's shout brought her focus back in time to block the shuriken that had been coming at her head.

Barely.

Positioning herself in the Hyuuga family style stance, she watched as the figure across from her mirrored her movements. Seconds went by as gold and lavender eyes bored into the other, sizing each other's potential up.

Shino's whole body tense as the shuriken flew past Hinata's face, slicing strands of hair as she scarcely dodged the weapon. He knew that she had been distracted by his obvious anger. Her eyes flashed with unknown emotion before turning away.

"Shino, what do we do?"

Kiba was practically dancing as the man raced forward to attack the girl, dust creating a cloud around the two. Shino knew that Kiba hated watching a fight, especially one that involved their girl.

Their girl.

The phrase pricked a memory of a few years ago during the Chouin Exams.

_The heat of the day was forgotten as they raced through the towering trees. The Forest of Death had always been the second part of the exam, but today Shino was grateful for its huge leaves and constant shade. A high pitch whistle had them simultaneously ducking. Shino caught a glimpse of Kiba and Akamaru rolling as kunai's sped past their bodies. _

_A ripping sound told him that they caught his coat. Shrugging it off, he looked up from his crouched position and took in the surroundings. On the other side of Kiba, Hinata gracefully rolled to a knee, her veins bulging on her temples as she scanned. He could see the disappointment and irritation on her face at having been caught off guard. _

"_Hina…."_

_Another wave of kunai rushed past them. If this had been the first time they were in the forest, they would have been disoriented to where the kunai's origins were, but now all four of them easily pinpointed the attackers location._

_Right by Hinata._

_Before he could release any Kikaichu, Shino watched as the girl launched herself into the trees. Besides him, Kiba growled as she fell back down, followed by her opponent. _

"_Ha! Is that all you have? A weak, pathetic girl?"_

_Shino stood there, quietly fuming at the insult towards Hinata. His whole body wanted to reach out and crush the teenage fool, but something held him back. The part of him that refused to let others in, the part that carried a small child rejected from the playground because of his bugs._

_Kiba had no such inhibitions._

"_Who the hell do YOU think you are!"_

_Racing forward he caught the surprise boy's jaw with a punch that sent him flying. _

"_No. One. Messes. With. Our. Girl."_

_Spitting this out, Kiba followed each word with a hard fist to the kid's face before throwing him back to the back and taking the scroll._

_Our girl._

_Shino felt a smile form on his otherwise cold face as the phrase echoed through his mind. It really did fit. The three did almost everything together, and they really were protective of Hinata. Walking over to where Kiba was helping Hinata to her feet, he felt something hard melt inside his stomach when she looked up at them. Tears pooling in her eyes._

"_I-I-I'm s-s-so s-s-s-sorry."_

_Shino felt her refusal to look at him, her eyes staring away towards Akamaru. Her voice was thick._

"_I w-wish I w-wasn't a…a b-burden t-to y-you."_

_Kiba's shout vibrated off the trees as he roughly took hold of her shoulders, shaking for emphasis._

"_YOU ARE NOT A BURDEN. YOU'RE OUR GIRL, OUR TEAMMATE, OUR FRIEND!"_

_Shino watched as Kiba hugged the crying girl, feeling the urge to do the same._

_He wished so hard that she was His girl._

The thud of someone hitting the ground had him shaking the images from his head and focus on the fight. Really, why did it seem like Hinata has been having more fights them Kiba and him combined lately?

Mentally thanking his father for the glass, he watched as the intruder picked himself up from where Hinata just dropped him with a series of gentle touches. If a normal person had been watching they would have thought the two were caressing each other, as neither looked like they were putting any strength into their hits.

Seeing her have the upper end of the fight, Shino felt his mind wander to the touches in question. The Hyuuga style was much harsher, using massive amounts of self control and chakra restrain. If Hinata let her chakra out in one specific hit, she could fatally injure her opponent. He remembered her quietly explaining this to Kiba once; saying that because of the deadliness of the Gentle Fist techniques, each child that was to learn it must start at an age far earlier then most ninja.

Watching those hands now, he tried to ignore the ghost memory that was slowly making its way to the surface of his consciousness.

"_S-Shino! Y-y-your c-c-coat!"_

_Feeling uncomfortable by her closeness, he attempted to scoot away. It was one of the rare occasions when Kiba had caught him off guard and ripped a healthy chunk out of his coat. _

"_It's not important."_

_He wanted to groan when the blood rushed to her ivory cheeks. She was so beautiful, how could he be so close to her without giving in to his desires and taking her face in his hands and,…_

"_N-no, th-this c-coat is very i-important to y-you, l-let m-me f-fix it."_

_He blinked as her hand reached out to take the coat. No one outside the family has ever tried to casually touch him, the thought of her sliding her hands across his chest to take the coat made his throat stick. It was a ridiculous thought, her seeing him beyond partners. _

"_No!"_

_Delicate hands froze at the harsh tone. Hinata hesitated, sadly looking up into his face before dropping them and turning away. Staying where he was, Shino watched as she made her way over to where Kiba was laying. The dog-nin had several cuts on his neck and face from the sparring. Mentally kicking himself, he watched as she gently help the boy out of his shirt before carefully rubbing the medical lotion over the cuts._

_Kiba shook his head at him over Hinata's head. His eyes saying what Shino himself was thinking._

_He was only pushing her away._

Hinata felt the rush through her body as she blocked another blow. The fight had lasted much longer then she anticipated, the opponent being equal with her skill. Mentally tallying up the time and energy, she figured they were both losing chakra. That meant one of them was going to fall, and soon.

Roughly hitting the palm of her left hand down onto his thigh, she followed it with swinging her right towards his head, knowing he would jump back. Now being separated by several feet, she knew this was the time to use the Sixty-Four Palms. Judging by the skill level he was using, she wouldn't be surprised if he knew how to do the ultimate Hyuuga technique himself, but and the thought almost made her smile, Hinata's was a bit different.

Kiba could smell the increase in Hinata's chakra as she began building up for the final attack. Not wanting to give her away, he subtly tossed a pebble at Shino's feet. When the boy gave the slightest tilt of the head, Kiba knew he had figured it out and was also waiting to step out of the 

way. They both knew that she was showing only a little of the technique's strength. This was a practiced warning for them.

Hinata felt the boy's response, knowing that they received the signal. She masked her chakra again, knowing that he was watching every little detail. Still, she needed to know more information before she executed the move.

"Who were you ordered to kill?"

The shy, stammering voice was gone, replaced with a cool tone of a young woman who would not hesitate to kill. He couldn't help but admire the beauty in front of him. It was really a shame. People just didn't see what they had before them nowadays, and she had a lot of potential to become the best Hyuuga ninja. Sighing loudly he slipped a hand into his pouch, clasping the object he would use.

"You."

Shino's eyes narrowed dangerously at the answer. So they really were after Hinata and not his mom. Still, it didn't comfort him much, sure this target could defend herself pretty damn well, but the thought of anyone trying to hurt her sent him into a rage that would make even the Hokage shiver.

Both teammates found themselves looking at Hinata as she took in this information. She knew they would both die to protect her, but they tend to forget that she would do the same for either of them. The man's answer wasn't a shock to her, she had guessed as much. Not once did he show any hurry to get past her, instead he took his time fighting. It also occurred to her that this man was most likely hired by someone inside the direct branch, or someone on the council. She knew all the members and could not remember anyone with a gold shade to their eyes like his.

Knowing all this and adding the fact that one of them was probably going to die, Hinata should have felt fear.

The three ninja watched as a feral smile slowly appeared on her face. It was a look neither Kiba nor Shino have seen before and it left them confused and slightly worried. Her beautiful face looked deadly and tranquil.

Shino shared a glance with Kiba before turning back.

The smile was gone now, along with any emotion, leaving pale skin and veins bulging around her eyes.

He realized too late what she was about to do.

Arms moving in perfectly controlled arcs, Hinata released all the bent up chakra, creating gorgeous blades of violet chakra.

Shino watched as she blades moved faster and faster until a purple globe surrounded the girl, sending out blades specifically towards the man.

"Shino, she's never been able to send blades out towards a specific location."

The awe in Kiba's voice matched his own thoughts. This was new. It was always dangerous, even from where he was standing Shino could see the beads of sweat on her brow when she stopped her attacked. Taking in the assassin, Shino saw that she had ended it too soon. Somehow he had managed to block most of the attack. A worried frown creased his face.

"She's used too much chakra, get ready."

He didn't look to see if Kiba heard him, he put all his energy on the fight. Hinata's face was drenched, her chest heaved as she breathed. The man was worse for the wear, but was already making his move, racing towards her with something in his hand.

"Now!"

Shino threw a kunai at him as Kiba and Akamaru jumped in between them. Seeing his way blocked, the assassin threw the object over and jumped back; landing neatly on his feet. Shino must have blinked because the next moment a thick cloud of black smoke engulfed the whole area.

"Hinata! Kiba!"

Blindly staring around he thought he heard muffled voices but couldn't' place where they were coming from. Sending out kikaichu, he quickly followed them as they zoomed into the smoke. It didn't matter if he lost sight of them, the male kikaichu could smell the females scent in any type of situation.

Running after them, he felt familiar chakra ahead. He would know that signature anywhere. He would follow it anywhere. Stumbling upon Hinata's prone form, he quickly bent down, groping in the smoke over her body for injuries.

"Hinata?"

No answer.

.

A/N: Ah-Ha! A cliffhanger! A terrible one too. Well, today is my graduation party sighs I didn't even know I was having one till last night. I miss having time to write big long chapters. Hopefully it'll all die down and I will be able too D. Maybe I'll be able to watch some animes and such. By the way, Speed Grapher is an amazingly good anime!


	7. Chapter 7

_Strands of hair whipped across her face as she turned to face him. The sun over head glittered through the leaves, casting shadows over their faces like a patchwork quilt. Seeing half of Shino's face bathed in light and the other in dark, she strangely was reminded of his two different personalities. The one that everyone saw; the cool, abstract shinobi that wielded insects like a sword, and the one who was an average teenager, laughing at Kiba and Akamaru when they get into fights. _

_Only that one had to hide the laughter behind the shadows. Away from the world that had rejected him._

_Looking at the hard set line of his lips, the perpetual habit he had of isolating himself from others while being in a crowd. Seeing how his fist would clench in an unconscious way when no one acknowledged him. She tried to ignore the feelings that were beginning to unfurl inside her body every time he was close enough to where she could see the unconscious pain in his shaded eyes._

_Watching him now, in the dapple shade, looking away from the other rookie nine that fooled around in the trees. Hinata felt only one thing: Pain. She never knew a feeling like this could hurt so much. The yearning, the desire to have someone that wasn't meant to be hers, she didn't know how anyone could take it. Catching the glint of light off his sunglasses, she felt like clutching her hands to her chest, as if to hold back the ache that seemed to have settled in permanently._

_When did she fall in love?_

Shino struggled to hold back the panic as his hands rested lightly on Hinata's chest; feeling for the shallow breathes the girl took. No matter how many times he roamed her body with his kikaichu or hands, he could not find the wound that had her heart racing under his palm. Surely he would have detected it with the insects or felt the ooze of blood, right?

Glancing up his brow furrowed with frustration; the fog wasn't dissipating like normal gas bombs: which meant that this was something different and possibly even more dangerous. This only meant more trouble was brewing and that he needed to find Kiba and Akamaru. They had to get out of here, they were in over their heads, especially with Hinata's byakugan out of the picture and the faint smell to the haze probably affected the other two's sense of smell, even his own bugs were having a hard time.

For once, Shino felt like he wanted to vocalize the vocabulary of swear words he had picked up from Kiba.

Taking a deep breath, he slipped his arms under the girl, lifting her close to his chest as he stood up. There had to be a way out of this haze, and he had to find it fast. Closing his eyes he waited 

for his male bugs to pick up the females scent. It was an overused trick, he knew, but it was effective and he didn't have time to complain.

Feeling the comfortable hum against his skin, he let instinct take over, allowing his body to be controlled by the insects. Giving them the reins so they could maneuver him to the third person that was trapped inside the clouds.

It was almost like having an out of body experience, the way he could detach himself from his body and let the creatures take over. As if he was a passenger on a ride, an observer who could sit back and watch the show as it played out.

His body always felt so alive when he let them take over, as if they were able to connect everything and use it to its fullest ability. It was amazing, how it felt like there was a constant vibrating in his veins.

"Shino, that you?"

Reaching their goal, the kikaichu seemed glad to relinquish control back to him. Securing Hinata's form against him with a small wave of the bugs, he reached out a hand and grabbed Kiba's arm. His voice low and muted in the fog.

"Yes, I have Hinata too."

The muscles under his hand jumped and tense at the touch. A wet nose nudging his fingers before moving to sniff the limp arm hanging.

"Is she okay?"

A rough hand came around and groped at his face in search of the girl, landing on his cheek. Resisting the urge to punch his friend, he instead, moved it down to what he hoped was an appropriate place on Hinata.

"I think she's knock out is all, let's go."

Even despite the situation, he quickly pushed the hand away, not liking the fact that he wasn't the only one touching her. It was stupid really; he knew that Kiba was involved with someone else. Still, he had restrained the possessiveness for far too long and it was now reaching the breaking point.

"How do I follow you?"

Shino paused, taking the entire girl's weight onto his arms again while thinking it over. Really, he was enjoying her warmth more then he should, especially at a moment like this.

"Have any rope?"

He took the rustling sound as a confirmative. Waiting for the boy to answer, he took the moment to bring Hinata's face close to his, enjoying the rare feeling of her being close to him. Hearing the erratic breathing had him impatient.

"Kiba! Hurry! We need to get Hinata to a doctor!"

The noise became more frantic, matching the uneven beat of Shino's heart, and then it was silent. He waited for two seconds before opening his mouth to ask what was wrong.

Then a hand slapped his face. Hard.

"Ow! Shit! Here's the rope, want me to tie us together?"

The kikaichu shook under his skin at the suppressed urge to gently put Hinata down and strangle the dog boy. Instead he invisibly gritted his teeth, safely putting the urge away for a more appropriate time.

"Yes, _Kiba_."

How did this guy survive without Hinata or him to show him the whole way? Still, he was probably one of the most loyal guy to have as a teammate, and if he was being honest only to himself, as a friend.

That didn't stop him from wanting to kick his ass occasionally though, and while he impatiently waited while the dog using ninja wrapped the roped around his waist in a knot that would be easy to untie if the situation called from it, he couldn't keep the concern at bay.

Where was the attacker?

Closing his useless eyes, Shino tried to use his bug sight to see if the man was still in the area. Too much fog, but as far as he could tell, there wasn't any unknown chakra around, although that didn't mean the guy wasn't hiding it.

"Okay, you're good, let's go."

Shino felt himself nod, even if the other boy couldn't see him. Turning towards the direction that the hunting male kikaichu was pulling at under his skin. The female must have gone that way; walking towards the left he talked quietly over his shoulder. Knowing the other boy or his nin-dog would hear him.

"My bugs are getting us out, but keep your nose open for anything unusual."

He paused momentarily to shift Hinata's weight, feeling the heat rush to his face as the physical contact.

"Mask your chakra."

After that, they fell silent, both concentrating on any signs of another attack. Well, Shino was trying to fully concentrate, but the surprisingly soft form in his arms kept calling his attention. Fear lanced through his arms as he thought of Hinata. What happened to her? It wasn't poison, or else his bugs would have detected it, nor was it a justu. Did he somehow get into her mind?

The thoughts made his tighten in rage. How could he have let this happen to her? He, the leader of the team, and had a responsibility to all its members. That guilt was doubled by the fact that the one person who always seemed to get injured was the one person he never wanted to see get hurt.

Moving quicker, he hid the relief that coursed through his body as the fog began to thin out. Speeding out, he ignored the surprised shout from the attached teammate and hurried out of the bomb smoke. This fight was going to have to wait, Hinata needed treatment and he needed answers.

Kiba broke out of the smoke with a gust of happiness. He was about to scream from the claustrophobia all that smoke made him feel. He hated being confined, especially when it meant that he had to be tied to bug boy. The kid never told him what he was up too.

This was probably why, he fell face first into the grass, not noticing the twist of rope being released from said partner.

"Oi! Warn me next time ass hole!"

He was glad Hinata was unconscious, picturing the glare that the normally sweet girl gave him every time he used swear words. But seriously, a dude has to express himself in some manly way, right? Standing up, he didn't bother brushing himself off as the raspy voice of his team leader spoke.

"Pay attention next time."

Kiba scowled. When they had fist met years ago, he had actually been creeped out by the gravelly tone the young shinobi had, as if he was always recovering from some type of cold. Now it just rubbed him the wrong way when it was filled with the rare show of emotion: in this case, annoyance.

"Yeah, yeah."

Shino ignored him, setting Hinata down for the first visual inspection since she was injured. Lucky for him no one else was around expect for his teammates, because he was unable to control the concerned frown from forming on his face as he took in the damage. Only these two were the only ones outside family that have seen him act remotely human, being the only two that he felt comfortable enough to show. Although Hinata only recently saw more.

"Is she going to be alright?"

He could feel Kiba and Akamaru hovering anxiously over his shoulder and repressed a sigh. He wore all his emotions on his sleeve, as if it didn't matter to him what other people thought. Shino didn't know how he did it; he hated showing anything to anyone that wasn't required.

The secrecy came with a high price though. The lack of friends being second, the lack of having a certain girl being the first.

Focusing on the girl's body now, Shino couldn't sense anything wrong with her. Still, none of her fainting spells have ever lasted this long, have they?

"I..don't know."

He didn't see the frown on Kiba's face.

"Do you know any medical justu?"

Shino allowed a small shake of the head, while watching a handful of bugs crawl out of his sleeve and into her clothes. Hopefully they'd find what was going on. His voice was emotionless as he replied.

"You know she was the medical one on the team."

Two frowns deepened as they waited for the bugs to assess the girl's condition. Shino kept every muscle tense, counting the seconds tick by.

"Shino, what's going on? And be honest."

The boisterous teen was speaking softly for once, reaching the other side of Hinata's prone form. Crouching down across from Shino, his eyes held a rare seriousness in them, all mischief gone from the canine-like orbs.

Shino let out a small sigh, seeing the determined look on his face.

"They weren't after the Aburame clan; they must have been after Hinata. I can't guess for sure, but it must be connected with her being the heir to the Hyuuga clan. I do not kno-"

Kiba growled, a sound that would have sent the hairs flying on anyone else's neck. Shino sat there unaffected, staring back at the impatient face.

"That's not what I meant, I'm smart enough to catch on with that!"

Shino raised a single brow, which Kiba chose to ignore in favor of continuing.

"I mean with you and Hinata."

Silence fell heavily upon the two as Kiba watched the stoic Aburame. No one would have caught his reactions if they had normal eyesight, but Kiba was a shinobi and being intimately close to canines gave him the eyesight to catch the slight changes in the teen.

"I see."

Shino didn't miss the disappointment in his friend's voice.

A/N: This chapter felt..Rushed… but then I've been in the mood for fluff and this chapter didn't give me the room for any. Anyway, I would have gotten this out sooner, but I had these crazy dreams with Kiba and Hinata then Shikamaru and Ino (oddly I was seeing everything from Ino's point of view)….and began writing it down… then I paused….and realized that I needed a break from Naruto.. I mean I am having DREAMS that involve me being one of the characters…. That's a serious cry for help…. Anyway.. I took a break and watched the entire boxset of Speed Grapher.. an amazingly deep anime that I highly recommend…Anyway again, I'm back and might be posting another story.. maybe not.. not sure yet… Thanks for the reviews guys..


	8. Chapter 8

He hated the sharp, clean smells of hospitals. All that cleaning solution they used always gave him a headache, but then again, not many people can say they have a sensitive nose in the literal sense.

Walking down towards the middle of the hallway, Kiba almost felt hesitant about entering the small room. That was another problem with medical buildings, no matter how high and how wide they build them, the rooms were still tiny. It made him feel trapped, and every step he took he fought back the impulse to turn and run.

Moving closer to the room that held his teammate, he wondered if Shino was there. That could complicate things for sure and he wanted to privately talk to Hinata. That is, if she woke up yet.

After a moment of awkward silence, Kiba and Shino had raced to the village. Kiba had wanted to take her to the medical ninja right away, but Shino had other plans, the usually mute ninja simply walked right into the Hokage's office and quietly demanded her to fix Hinata: it had been an incredible sight.

_Kiba had stared opened mouth as the fifth Hokage took in Hinata's appearance and the cold expressionless face of the man who was holding her. Then she calmly nodded to Shizune before getting up and walking around the desk. _

"_Kiba, go with Shizune."_

_Shino watched as Kiba gave him a second look of disappointment before dejectedly turning around and leaving the office, followed by the tall dark haired woman and pig._

_He would have felt worse for his friend if Hinata had been in better condition. The only reason he had gone straight to the Hokage was because he had this feeling that she was going to be the only one that could help that limp form that he protectively cradled in his arms._

_Plus, he wanted some damn answers. _

Pausing outside the closed door, Kiba apprehensively reached a hand out, pausing when he heard voices. Voices he knew all too well.

Smiling, he masked his and Akarmaru's presence and settled in to eavesdrop.

Shino kept his face neutral as Tsunade inspected Hinata. He watched as her hawk eyes roamed over the girl's body before fixing a slightly raised brow at him.

"Do you mind?"

Without blinking, she watched as the young Aburame slowly and rather tenderly laid the prone figure onto the floor before straightening up with a closed face. Not that she could tell what he was thinking anyway, almost all his face was concealed behind the sunglasses and coats. She kneeled down and began looking over more closely this time.

"I don't know how you never dehydrate, with all those damn layers you Aburames wear."

Shino blinked at her small talk, was she trying to distract him? He didn't bother answering; after all she was the fifth Hokage and the best medical ninja in all of Leaf Village. She was intelligent enough to figure it out.

"Interesting thing about bugs," He waited for her to continue, watching her with hidden anxiety as she rested a hand on Hinata's neck, no doubt feeling the erratic pulse, "they need a consistently cool place to live or else they'll fry. Ever toasted an ant with glass?"

He frowned, knowing what she was trying to do. Every since she recognize that he wasn't one for showing emotion, one of her favorite games was to do and say things that would get a rise out of him.

Deciding to again not respond, Shino watched her brow furrow further as her hand hovered above Hinata's forehead. He could see the glistening sweat on her brow from where he was standing.

"I want to know what is going on."

Behind his glasses, Shino's eyes narrowed as the woman's hands paused mid air. Her face lost all expression, becoming the face of an unreadable Hokage who ran the village with a chakra-fueled fist.

"Someone's been trying to take out the Hyuuga clan."

Glancing over, he felt a shiver down his spine when her cold amber eyes met his. He needed to push on through or else she want never tell him.

Raising a single eyebrow, he settled in his place to patiently wait.

Tsunade watched him out of the corner of her eye as she started to treat Hinata. It wasn't a very serious injury, physical, but it did look like whoever hit her was aiming for her neck. Easy enough to go in and repair the deep tissue damage. Her head must have taken a good beating, and those affects might last a long time.

She knew that he wasn't going to be pleased when she told him.

Tsunade was always intrigued by the Hidden Leaf's clans, they were always made up with such variety of talents that she actually did get a kick out of reading their files. Not that she would ever let Shizune in on that; the woman would probably try to use that to her advantage.

Still, the Aburame clan was interesting to read about, if anything, from a medical prospective. Humans that allowed certain bugs live inside their body and feed off their chakra. This was a painful process done at early infancy. Hence why only the strongest children were put through the initiation; they had lost many years before.

The human body was an amazing structure of intricate connections. It could withstand impossible situations, pushing itself past its own limit. She saw it happen every day as ninjas pushed themselves beyond their bodies' capability.

A lone image of a young man in a green jumpsuit came to her mind, almost making her smile.

You could see miracles every second when in the medical field.

The Aburames though, they made it hard from the start. As the child came to the age of four, they were taken to the main house, where the clan leader would make them go through a process to find out which insect could live inside their body. This meant they literally put and took out a handful of each different bug that lives in the Aburame's famous gardens into the infant's body.

The selection procedure was long, hard and the child went through excruciating amounts of pain before finding the right species. After the choice was made, the child was then taken back to their family and began extensive training with the Aburame bug user in their households.

This, she idly contemplated, was probably why the Aburame men had such a hard time finding wives. Besides the fear of bugs, no mother would ever want to watch their child go through such a thing.

Fear of bugs. That thought had her focusing on the Hyuuga's pale face. The girl was such a sweet, harder worker, Tsunade felt a sliver of anger every time someone mentioned how Hiashi treated his eldest daughter as a disappointment. His Hyuuga eyes obviously were blind to the talent and potential that laid behind an insecure face. Insecurities that he had created.

Sitting back she gave a low whistle, watching as two ANBU appeared in front of her.

"Please, take this girl to the-"

Her eye widen as Shino interrupted her.

"No, please I'll take her when we are done speaking."

His head was respectively bowed, but it was his voice that had Tsunade suspiciously looking at him. It was his usually volume, as in almost no volume, but firm. As if he was going to do what 

he wanted no matter what her answer was. She was shocked, Aburame's, especially Shino and Shibi, were known for their ability to get things done without question.

Boy, does he have it bad.

"Alright, you may leave and inform Sakura that these two are coming."

She waited till they disappeared before going to sit on her desk.

Shino didn't miss the calculating look in the older woman's eyes when he had spoken his request, but this was something he wasn't going to budge on. Hinata was staying by him, Kiba, or Kurenai: no exceptions.

Now that they were alone, he silently cleared his throat before speaking, unconsciously straightening his posture.

"If they are after Hinata, why did they wait till she was at my house?"

She was quick to answer, seeing that he wasn't going to waste time fiddling around with unnecessary talk. She inwardly smiled at his blunt nature; he never bothered with fake pleasantries or small talk, just got straight to the point.

Probably why she liked him.

"Hinata is well protected when within Neji's or Hiashi range."

"What is being done about it and are the other Hyuuga's being attacked?"

She finally grinned; this kid was so much fun sometimes.

"We're on the search for information now as to who is behind it, as for the other Hyuuga's, only Hanabi and Hinata seem to have been targeted. Which suggest to someone wanting to take out the heirs."

He nodded, opening his mouth for launch more questions at her, but stopped when she raised her hand.

"Enough, I don't have all day, besides she needs to be in the infirmary for rest. I shall assign an ANBU team for her protection."

She paused, waiting for the protest, but continued when he just stood there. She didn't have to hear the words though, she was a woman after all, she could see the tension building in his shoulders. Her next words came out in a whisper.

"If you don't like that, I could also assign her protection the rest of team eight."

It wasn't usually her thing, to make people happy, but something about the way he was so protective of her had her soften up. Stupid old woman hormones.

"I would….appreciate that."

Shino saw her nod in dismissal. Kneeling down he gently scooped up Hinata, tucking her tightly against his chest. He didn't ask what had happened to her, having complete faith in the Hokage's ability to completely heal her.

Without another word, the young man turned and left the office, as silent as he had entered.

The headache is what first woke her up, the pounding felt as if something was smashing her head against a wall. Groaning, she rolled onto her side, clutching the sun-drenched pillow.

"Hinata?"

That voice sounded as if the user just woke up from sleep, scratchy. A voice that haunted her dreams lately, whispering in her ear words that would have made her fainted if she had been awake.

Maybe this was a dream, though she couldn't remember ever having a headache this bad in one before, but the voice had her confused.

"Hinata?"

Realizing that she was asleep anymore, Hinata groggily cracked her eyes open. Flinching as the sunlight burned her eyes.

"Ow…."

Raising a hand to shield her eyes, she squinted at the blurred form of a person in front of her for a few seconds before giving up and closing her eyes again.

"You can open your eyes now, I closed the blinds."

Cautiously listing her lids, Hinata looked up into the shadowed face of Shino. Who was sitting by a bed she was in, leaning closely towards her.

"Erm…."

Resisting the urge to hide under the covers, she looked around the room, listening when his quiet voice broke the silence.

"You were injured, Tsunade healed you and now we're in the hospital."

Shino watched as she slowly sat up. His hands rested on the covers, inches away from her leg, clenched in a light fist as her large eyes turned towards him again.

"Did we get him?"

He could only shake his head, knowing he'd have to tell her what Tsunade said but unwilling to make her worry in the current state she was in.

"Wh-where's Kiba?"

When he didn't answer, her eyes widen fearfully.

"He's not hurt is he?"

Looking down he saw her hand clutch a handful of the sheets. He tried to ignore the jealously as he calmed her down.

"No he is fine; he should be here any minute to check on you."

Sagging against the pillows in relief, Hinata stared at the covered Aburame's covered face, knowing he was staring back. She could feel the tension coming from him.

"L-lucky he's n-not here, I d-don't th-think my head c-could take the v-volume."

She smiled teasingly, ignoring the pain behind her eyes and temples. Shino didn't fully relax but she was pretty sure he smiled, if only…

Leaning forward, she reached her hand out, pausing only a second before unfastening the part of the jacket that was covering the lower half of his face.

Shino silently smiled at her joke, knowing only too well how obnoxious Kiba could be. It vanished though, when her small hand reached out and unhooked his jacket. Opening it up so his whole face was exposed, leaving only his eyes covered.

"I j-just w-wanted to see y-your face. It's h-hard to k-know w-what y-your thinking, b-being all c-covered up."

Settling back, she blushed at her actions. When did she get so interfering and bold? Looking down she closed her eyes in shame, waiting for the reprimanding to begin.

He felt the shock down to his bones, the kikaichu loudly thudding beneath his skin. He was positive that she could hear them, but at the moment all he could do was close his eyes and try not to lose face. No one has ever touched his coat, and here she was, the woman he has always wanted, saying that she wanted to see what he was thinking. What he was _feeling._

"S-sorry Sh-shino."

So focused on the flurry of emotions raging inside him, Shino barely caught the soft whisper. Looking up he saw her face pale and downcast, as if she had done something terrible.

Shino frowned at her, confused and startled. He tried to subtly peer into her face but she had tilted her head down, letting her hair form a perfect shield.

"Hinata?"

He waited but she didn't respond, just continued to stare down into her lap. He wasn't sure what to do, should he get up and leave her alone? Or should he follow his gut and hug her? Was she disappointed at what she saw? Did she think he was mad?

All the questions were making his head hurt.

She simply remained silent, as if her lack of speech would make her vanish into the bedding. How could she do something so disrespectful, and to the person who she wanted to impress the most?

Sighing quietly, Shino leaned back further into the chair; this was so hard to do. No one's ever shown interest in him before and he wasn't even sure if she had, maybe she's just trying to create a deeper friendship.

"It's been a long day."

Hinata miserably stared down unseeingly, refusing to ruin the situation with Shino. She wasn't sure how to act or how to even think when he was around anymore. She had never been the one to do impulsive actions like what she just did, no, she was the level head girl that hid behind bright blushes and fainting spells.

Now as he spoke in a surprisingly seductive voice, she chewed her lip in frustration. Did he even think of her that way? He had only recently begun to act more open towards her, and she knew that wasn't enough evidence to allow her mind to run away with.

"Hinata, I….."

He broke off, too shy to admit how he felt but unwilling to let another day go by without her being his. Taking a deep breath, he tried again.

"I'm selfish."

Hinata finally looked up, not at what he said but more towards the slight tremor she thought she detected when he spoke. What did he mean by that?

"No you're not."

Before she had finished, he was shaking his head, an irritated frown on his lips. She was distracted for a moment, taking in the rare sight of his face being fully uncovered.

"No, I am. I am selfish because I…..because I don't want to share you….with anyone."

Her eyes widened significantly as he lost volume towards the end. Did Shino just say..? Surprisingly though, she kept her face neutral as she was certain he was watching her reaction from behind those glasses. Inside she felt her stomach twist with sadness.

"Sh-shino, y-you don't h-have to l-lie."

She couldn't figure out how he had guessed her feelings about him. The migraine sent lightening across her vision.

"Ah!"

Shino was about to correct her when the girl's hands shot up to her face, covering her eyes with a sharp intake of breath. Standing up, he gently pushed her back onto the pillows, berating himself for allowing her to be up for so long without anything to help her eyes.

"Hinata, don't move, I'll go get someone to help."

Turning away, he was pull short when a petite hand grabbed his wrist tightly. Looking back down, he watched as she shook her head, already struggling to sit up again.

"N-no p-please, I'm fine n-now."

Hinata felt stupid as he stared down at her, his mouth twisting in silent disagreement. She quickly distracted him.

"W-what w-w-were you g-going to s-say?"

Shino narrowed his eyes at her, seeing through the poorly veiled attempt of keeping him from getting a nurse, but she did seem to be better. Slowly sitting back down, he scooted the chair closer. Staring into her lovely eyes, he felt a moment's panic. He should have fled when he had the chance, now he had to continue their earlier conversation.

"Shino?"

It was the way her soft voice said his name that made up his mind. Slowly reaching up, he removed the last barrier between them. Setting down the sunglasses, he briefly closed his eyes before fixing her with a look of sincerity.

Hinata felt her pulse begin to race as he set the glasses next to her thigh, his fingers brushing against her leg on accident. Fighting to keep her body still, she watched as he opened his eyes to look at her. The expression was so open and full of insecurities that she felt her chest tighten. This was the Shino that no one ever saw, the one that was uncertain. The one that feared rejection.

"Hinata, I am not lying. I've wanted to say this for….such a long time…I.."

She watched wide eyed as the never failing shinobi failed to find the words. It was so _human_ of him to struggle sharing his feelings. It made several things click together in her mind. Understanding flooded her with an epiphany that sent her lower abdomen tightening with warmth.

In that moment, she decided to do something that she had wanted to do since the day he had first called her name.

Leaning forward, Hinata gently touched her lips to his.

A/N: Chapter Eight :Crookedly grins: Thank you for all the reviews, I appreciate it a lot! Especially those who have kept coming back, thank you! D

I really don't know how long this will be, maybe long, maybe short. It just depends on what the characters decide to do, though it is looking like it's going to long. And even though I'm working on a couple other fics, one that is being posted on here (Shikamaru and Ino), this story 

will probably be top priority. I didn't mean for the other ones to become fics, they just blossomed over night I suppose.

Anyway, my Dad just bought me this **huge** dolphin mug. (I love big coffee mugs) It's so neat! It's ceramic though… so it weighs about three pounds ( at least it does to me).. so if I use it all summer and switch arms occasionally I'll end up with biceps! XD


	9. Chapter 9

Kiba felt his jaw drop as the voices from inside the room faintly found his ears. He had been unprofessionally pressing one against the closed door for about the past thirty minutes in a state of growing shock. Lying at his feet with a bored look, Akamaru sighed loudly, ignoring the frustrated look Kiba shot him.

Turning back towards the door he froze in place, literally.

"It's rude to eavesdrop."

That voice was not he _didn't_ want to run into at the moment.

"Shikamaru, do you mind?"

He didn't need to look to know that the lanky shinobi shrugged before releasing Kiba's shadow. The tension throughout his body loosened as it return to its own control.

Rolling his shoulders he turned to see not only Shikamaru but an amused looking Ino standing beside him. He ignored the sinking in his stomach as he took in the dangerous gleam in her eyes.

"Hi guys."

What was worse was that it seemed she was here to check on Hinata and Kiba definitely did not want her interrupting his teammates. Now that Shino finally developed the nerve to tell her how he felt.

"Hello Kiba."

The sly tone that she used had Kiba unrevealed his chakra, hoping that the bug user would interpret it as the warning that it was. Sliding slightly in front of the door he fixed the cockiest smirk at the blonde girl.

"Miss me already Ino? I didn't think you were the kind who rushed."

Shikamaru's pencil thin brows significantly rose as Ino's face flushed a bright red. That was a warning in itself and he knew better then to disregard the signs of danger. That's how he survived after all. Resting his hands behind his head he turned away from the two.

"See ya guys later."

They didn't notice.

Kiba hoped that Shino realized what kind of trouble he was going through to give them some time to get ready. Staring into the fuming girl's eyes he felt his life being shortened several hours, maybe even years.

"Excuse me, Kiba?"

The soft, deadly tone that she spoke his name had him bracing himself against the door, giving up the noble idea of helping his friends and praying that she wouldn't flay him alive. Akamaru tried to worm his way behind Kiba's legs.

"I… I just meant… I was trying…."

Her advancing footsteps had him struggling with the doorknob in panic. Teammates be damned!

Shino was the one to break the kiss, slowly moving back. Hinata reluctantly opened her eyes, fearing that he was going to say that this wasn't right, that they weren't right. However, that all disappeared as she saw the concentrated look on his face, his eyes tightly shut and though she couldn't see it, she could hear his increased breathing.

"Shino?"

He almost kissed her again when she uttered his name, but knew that Kiba's chakra spurt was a warning. That didn't stop the rolling desires inside, and the kikaichu were not helping. They roamed frantically, purring loudly. It was embarrassing to know that Hinata could hear them, as if she could see how much he wanted to continue the kiss and more.

He needed to regain control.

"Kiba is outside the door, probably with someone else."

Standing up he reached down to grab his glasses, and despite his resolve to not do anything else that was irrational, he let his hand slide over her thigh before picking the shades up. Replacing them on his face, he meticulously refastened his jacket and straightened the chair up.

Now that he had his face was covered, the insecurities pulsed through him like a shock. How could he have done that? Turning away from the furiously blushing girl, he threw open the blinds, forgetting that Hinata's eyes were still sensitive. He needed light; he needed something that would pull his thoughts away from the memories that belonged to a small child.

The child that no one wanted to be with.

Hinata felt crushed when the cool neutral tone reclaimed Shino's voice. He hadn't even looked at her since the kiss and she didn't need the Hyuuga clan blood line limit to know that it was the reason why.

Not caring if he saw, Hinata fell onto the pillows, bringing up the blanket until it was up to her nose. This was one of the times she wished for herself to faint but the darkness evaded her as Shino threw open the curtains in a flash. Pain seared through her eyes like lightening, traveling to 

the back of her skull and down her spine. It rocked her whole body as she automatically closed her eyes and curled up under the blanket.

Shino didn't notice Hinata's movements as he walked around the bed towards the door. Pausing with a hand on the doorknob, he berated himself on wanting to look back at her.

He sharply pulled the door open, moving out of the way as the large white dog and terrified looking ninja fell into the room. Glancing out he saw the reason for the fearful looks as Ino calmly stepped on Kiba's midsection upon entering the room. The lethal look of tranquility disappeared as her eyes fell on the bed.

"What happened?"

Rushing forward she went to the window and shut the blinds, sending a death glare towards the silent man.

"How could you have done that?!"

With another glare, she focused on the trembling form beneath the sheets.

"Hinata? Can you come out please?"

All traces of anger were gone, leaving the voice that Kiba secretly adored: soft, sweet, and caring. Seeing her so concerned over their girl almost made up for her stomping on his stomach.

_Almost_, not quite.

Getting up from the floor, he gave Shino a hard glance. What did he do? It had been going so well as far as he had heard, what did he miss?

Leaving the Aburame where he was, he went to join Akamaru at the bedside.

"My eyes….light…"

The voice was barely above a whisper, full of pain. Shino clenched his fist in guilt. He had completely forgotten her eyes in his haste for distraction, so busy on escaping the new feelings and old memories. Even now as he watched Ino reassure Hinata that the blinds were closed, the two battled in his mind. It wasn't just fear of rejection, but the fear of everyone else. He had never been welcomed until he was put in a team. Throughout his whole childhood he had always been the observer, the outcast looking on as the children played games.

_Sitting on a tree branch, concealed from everyone below him, he watched as they kicked the ball around. Laughter reached his ears as he enviously watched the other boys playfully chase each _

_other. On the other side of the playground, a group of young girls laughed and giggled as they talked._

_No one ever asked if he wanted to play or talk._

Shaking the images, he focused his eyes as Hinata's face slowly appeared. She was the one that he felt had created this new feelings; the hot rush through his blood every time she was close, the desire to always touch her, protect her, or simply be by her. Staring at her face he felt everything leave expect overwhelming guilt.

She looked worse: pale face was covered in sheen of sweat, lips chalky and her eyes were barely open, dull with pain.

Shino felt like punching himself.

Kiba felt the same. Shooting another glare at his teammate, he carefully sat on the bed. Putting an arm around the frail looking girl's back and resting his head on her own.

"Hinata, you look terrible."

It was a weak attempt at humor, his concern overriding the joke. She smiled sadly, leaning her head into the comforting warmth of the juncture between his neck and shoulder.

"I'm s-sorry Kiba."

Akamaru whined at her knees, warm liquid eyes staring up at her.

Ino watched silently as Kiba looked up at her, his eyes showing her the reassure she needed but also unknowingly showing her the depth of his concern and loyalty towards his teammate.

"Hinata I need to examine your head okay? It won't hurt."

She focused the green medical chakra, eyebrows forming together in concentration, fully aware of the pair of predator type eyes on her.

Hinata let her eyes trail over to the dark corner by the door where Shino remained. A flare of pain entered her system when she couldn't see him clearly. What had she done to make him do all this? She knew he hadn't meant to hurt her, she could tell by the way he had agitatedly turned away.

No, she wanted to know why he had become the cold shinobi that she was use to seeing on missions and not that guy who had struggled innocently to explain how he felt.

A burst of pain flashed out her vision. Gasping she turned away from the green hand in front of her and into the nook of Kiba's shoulder.

Ino shared a worried glance with Kiba. She wasn't suppose to feel anything.

"Hinata?"

They didn't hear footsteps moving closer to the bed, all focused on the girl. After a few moments she tilted her head back, a listless expression her face.

Shino had to lean in to hear her.

"It's…n-nothing..d-don't..w-worry…c-c-c-continue.. please…"

In fact she was pretty sure that another bout of pain as excruciating as that and she would pass out. A part of her hoped for it as Ino hesitated above her forehead. She wouldn't appear any weaker in front of them. She would not be a disgrace.

Kiba shared another uneasy look with the blonde before she focused more chakra into both hands. An anxious rhythm began to beat in his chest as Hinata tightly closed her eyes. Trying to reassure her, he placed a quick kiss on the top of her head. Ignoring the death stare from Shino. The guy could suck it for all he cared; he wasn't going to make Hinata feel any poorer. She needed someone who could give her the support that was felt.

Sometimes showing someone that you were there for them needed to be shown in physical affection: even if it was as small as a brush of the hand or pat on the back. People needed that connection.

Pondering that thought, Kiba let his eyes wandered to Shino's covered one.

_Sometimes….._

Hinata felt light headed, as if she had held her breathe for too long. Opening her eyes she saw blurry images in front of her. How odd it was to be dizzy while lying down, as if she was on a turning table. Blinking, she squinted as she tried to focus her eyesight.

"I-ino?"

She tried to turned towards the girl, but felt the muscles in her neck freeze. A rolling sensation in her stomach set her on alert, causing her instincts to kick in.

"Yes?"

At the moment she wished she was alone, knowing this humiliating feeling too well. The spinning was increasing making her cross eyed as she tried to keep track of what she thought was the girls head.

"Hinata?"

Sweat was trailing down her chest as she fought back the nausea in her throat. She did _not_ want to vomit in front of them. This didn't really matter though, as she couldn't even keep them in a single place. Weakly she felt her head roll with the direction of the dizziness as if she was following a hawk spiral down in the sky towards it kill.

She wished someone would kill her.

Instead she felt blessfully cold hands on her hot cheeks, stopping her movements. At any other time she would have been delighted at Shino's touch, but now….

"Get off!"

With one last spurt of strength, Hinata shoved the two boys away and leapt to the window. Roughly shoving the blinds apart, she ripped open the window.

Then, hoping that no one was underneath, she neatly puked.

Hinata's limp form hung out the window, drained of any energy after being sick several times. Shino had nodded silently as Kiba and Akamaru were forced to leave, their extra sense of smell making it so they didn't stand the smell.

After the two had left, he had made his way to the window, wavering behind her heaving form before carefully leaning forward to hold back her hair. Feeling heavy as he thought how badly he had reacted earlier. He just couldn't get it right could he? Every time she opened up, the more closed up he became.

It was really starting to piss him off.

"Y-you c-can l-leave."

Her voice was rough and scratchy. Shino simply ignored what she said and spoke his own question.

"Are you done?"

Hinata frowned at the ground below, feeling hurt and miserable at the remote tone he used. Still, she felt herself nodding after checking to make sure the world didn't spin anymore. Instead she 

felt herself being tilting back slowly as Shino lifted her up into his arms and covered her back to the bed.

She shut her eyes and clamped her mouth, horrified at what she must smell like.

After being gently set down she cautiously lifted her lids. Shino was once again seated in the chair besides the bed, only keeping his distance this time.

Watching her eyes flutter shut, Shino knew that it wasn't sickness that caused her to do that but the attempt to avoid eye contact. He knew she was mortified at being sick in front of them, and probably because of his actions earlier.

"Want some water?"

Hinata wondered if he would leave if she acted like she was sleeping, but maturity told her to open her eyes and answer.

"D-don't b-b-bother."

Rolling away from the young man, she curled into a ball. Now that they were alone, she didn't want to look at him, not wanting to see the look of discomfort or regret.

"Hinata, please drink."

She listened as water was being poured and footsteps coming towards the other side of the bed. Keeping her expression blank, she slowly sat up and took the offered glass, careful of not making contact with his hand.

"Th-thank you."

Resisting the urge to run his hands through his hair, Shino calmly walked back to the chair. It was several minutes before one of them spoke.

"Wh-where is Ino?"

Shino pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers as he answered.

"She went to get Tsunade."

Setting the empty glass on the floor, Hinata took a deep breath before speaking. She knew that if she turned around she wouldn't be able to say the words that were in her head. Staring at the empty space in front of her, she tried to keep her voice was fading or cracking.

"I remember when we were children; everyone would go out and play during breaks. I wasn't very good at the games so I usually sat on the sidelines and watched the other kids play."

It cracked and changed volume, but she was grateful that she didn't stutter.

"I always thought that you didn't play with them because you didn't like to be around us, but that wasn't the case was it? You were just like Naruto in that way, shunned by all the other kids just because you were different and that difference wasn't what everybody liked."

She paused to quietly clear her throat.

"I wasn't confident or outgoing, but I use to watch you, wondering what it was that you wanted to play, but I was always too timid to go up and ask." turning around she looked at Shino with sadness.

She couldn't see the split expression of hurt and anger on his face, or the fists that were clenching and unclenching inside his pockets. The only sign she could see was the rapid rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed.

"Shino…what game would you have wanted to play?"

A/N: This was going to be different, but as soon as I started writing it evolved into this chapter. Odd how that plays out…

On another side note..I have specific music I listen too when I write. Mostly the artist **Elisa**, so, here are some songs for Hinata and Shino….( and other Naruto Characters, but I won't list those)

"Heaven out of Hell"(both) "A Little Over Zero"(Hinata) "Rock Your Soul" (Both) "Broken" (Shino) "Bitter Words" (Shino) "Life Goes On" (General) "I Know" (Hinata) "Stay" (Both)

Enjoy!


	10. Chapter 10

Sometimes, the pain is more then he could bare.

Like a parasite, constantly eating away inside of him, leaving a hollow trail in its wake. At times he felt like he could feel its tiny teeth tearing away at his soul, a feeling that sent goosebumps down his back and covering his arms. The little beast would become frenzied, as if feeding off his fear of being consumed. Afraid that one day he'd wake up to find that he can't feel anything but the emptiness.

It was times like these that _she_ became the center of his day, of his existence. Knowing that he would see her, hear her soft voice, felt like the only thing that kept him from staying hidden under his bed covers. Knowing that she might need him, that the team needed him, propelled him out of the house and towards the training ground that was their set meeting place.

Looking at her now, he felt those parasites get pushed back, as if her gentle eyes saw right through him.

He wouldn't be surprised if she could. She always knew what to say, not just to him but to everyone else that she was acquainted with. That was one of the things that made him love her so much; her ability to be or say the things that the person needed when they were upset. It was probably that alone that made Team Eight so well suited.

Her compassion equaled out the ruthlessness that the rest of them possessed.

Feeling the pain now, Shino raised a hand to clutch a fistful of jacket.

"Sh-shino?"

Who would have known that he would feel like this? Such pain and joy at the same time, he wasn't sure if he could handle all that was seeping out from the cracks that she had made in his armor. The armor that had protected him and many Aburame men before him from rejection.

Simply amazing.

"Hinata I must….apologize."

Watching her tired eyes sharpen as she watched him, he felt almost ridiculous at thinking that she would ever hurt him. Even now, after he had treated her like dirt, she was trying to comfort him. He knew that even if she didn't feel the same, she would never tell him in a way that would hurt him.

Hinata knew he was apologizing for earlier, but she was confused at the pained posture he was in. Watching his hand go up to grab his jacket in the chest, she wanted to reach out and take it 

away but instead she watched from where she lay, wondering what she could do without upsetting him.

"D-don't be s-sorry Sh-shino, I k-know I s-startled you."

Shino closed his eyes before taking the hand from his jacket and reaching out. It seemed like years before his fingers hesitantly slid across the top of her hand. He was staring hard at the faded floor tiles when he spoke.

"I…don't …know how to do this…"

Hinata felt him tense as she moved her hand, but watched him relax when all she did was turn her hand over so she could curl her fingers around his hand. Looking at him, she fought back the exhaustion one last time.

"It's o-okay, m-me e-either. B-but, I'm h-h-happy Sh-shino."

Shino smiled as Hinata's eyelids drifted shut.

"Me too."

Ino knew that people thought she was foolish, that she was only a gossip and that she probably wouldn't make it much higher in the ranks of ninja. They were wrong.

She took everything seriously: her job both as a kuinochi, shop girl, daughter, friend and medical ninja. Sure, she knew that she acted like a complete ditz sometimes, but that didn't mean she was truly stupid, in fact she was the highest ranking student in her academy.

Rushing towards the fifth Hokage's office, she felt apprehensive at disturbing the woman. Training with Tsunade had not been easy and her appreciation for Sakura's dedication rose as she went through the same process of learning the medical art. The woman had a temper worse than anyone she knew and it was set off by the smallest things.

But then, she had told Ino to specifically come to her if Hinata was getting worse.

Pausing to knock, she took a deep breath.

Tsunade had told the truth when she said that Hinata's injury was most likely not serious. Checking over the girl, the only thing she had found was a minor neck injury that could have been a lot worse if the attacker had aimed a little higher. Still, the rate which the Hyuuga girl's heart was going was not a normal symptom. Patients that are unconscious and are healed usually relax into restful sleep, waking up later with a headache at the most.

They definitely should not feel a medical nin's touch.

After hearing the news from the young blonde, she had happily left the paperwork Shizune was making her do and left to go check on her patient. Yamanaka was a reliable, hardworking young woman and Tsunade knew that she was skilled enough to not doubt her medical skills.

So why did Hinata react the way she did?

Pondering this she walked towards the room in a brisk do-not-disturb pace, ignoring the people trying to make eye contact. She didn't want to have to stop and listen to people bitch.

Opening the door, Tsunade blinked as two figures stood up to greet her. Walking in, she closed her eyes for ten seconds before opening, glad that they adjusted so quickly to the dimmer light.

"When did you get here?"

Stopping at the edge of the bed, she looked at the genjutsu user. Her lovely maroon eyes were heavy with exhaustion. Tsunade guessed that she probably just got back from the errand she had sent her on.

"Moments before you Hokage, is Hinata okay?"

Her eyes trailed over to the Aburame with an amused quirk of the brow. He was silent and almost invisible as usual, with the exception of a hand holding one of the girl's.

"Yes, I was telling Shino the truth when I said that she would be okay. It was a minor neck wound that could have been worse if the attacker had hit any higher, but luckily it will only result in slight soreness."

Focusing now, she leaned over the Hyuuga girl and began checking her vital signs, hoping that she wouldn't be proved wrong in her assumption that everything was okay.

"Neck injuries are tricky at best, but Hinata is fortunate. She should only experience some headaches and bruising."

Looking up from her examination, she saw the two exchanged a glance. She mentally raised her brows, could Kurenai even see if he was really looking at her? Shaking this thought away, she puther hand underneath the girl's neck to check the area.

"In fact, when she wakes up she may leave."

Removing her hand she stepped back.

"What about earlier? Her responding to the medical chakra?"

Tsunade nodded seriously, collecting her thoughts before speaking.

"It was strange but sometimes people react differently to the technique."

They nodded as Kurenai reached out to gently brush back Hinata's hair.

"Team Kurenai is to protect both Hyuuga girls then?"

Tsunade hid a smile, knowing who Kurenai got her information from.

"No just Hinata, I have assigned another team for the younger, even though Hiashi didn't like it."

She smirked as a gleam came into the woman's eyes. It was a known fact that Kurenai didn't agree with Hiashi's opinions about his eldest. Turning towards the door, she called back over her shoulder as Shizune appeared.

"I leave it to you then."

A/N: It was a terrible place to cut it off but I do have the next part mostly written! Ah Ha! XD catching up! I apologize for the delay updates on both fics…. I had to work the 4th of July and the weekend X.X then I had my birthday …funny side story.. I was hanging out with my cousins on my b-day and asked them if they knew who River Phoenix was and they looked at me all funny and said "who?" I nearly drowned in the pool….I felt….ancient …sighs...

Anyway Enjoy and thanks for the reviews! D


	11. Chapter 11

Kurenai stood by the window, a slender gloved finger pulling the fabric back to let a little light stream in. It was the end of the second day and Hinata wasn't showing any signs of waking up. Even though Tsunade had assured them that this was normal and that the girl would be waking up anytime, Kurenai couldn't help but feel concerned; the young woman was like a daughter to her.

"I think her breathing has lightened."

Backing away from the window, she turned to meet the covered eyes of the shinobi that was sitting on the chair next to the bed, holding back a grin. She had watched those two flutter around each other for such a long time that she couldn't help but feel relieved as she took in the silent but fierce possessiveness that excluded from him.

"Good, then I'll leave and go prepare and get Kiba."

Shino didn't answer, just watched as the woman confidently strode out the door. Turning back as the door shut with a soft thud, he waited a few moments to see if anyone came back in.

Silence.

Lost in thoughts that he never expected to have, he watched the girl asleep. She was really beautiful, almost exotic in a way; with her glossy hair that was so black it shined blue, pale skin that never blemished with sunburn or even a tan, and her eyes; well they set her apart all on their own.

Looking at her curled up form, facing him, looking so sweet and seductive at the same time Shino felt rolling desires heat up his cool blood. The room was filled with a deep humming sound.

Reaching out he gently took one of her hands in his. He was always amazed at how small her hands actually were. Lifting his fingers up, he traced the visible veins that led from her wrist to the inside of her palm. Could one's skin be so light that it was almost translucent? Yet it was so tough, withstanding punches that would send normal grown men to the ground.

Looking closer, he let his glasses slip down as he inspected her palm. They were not soft and smooth, like most gentle-bred women, they were rough with scars and calluses.

Signs of her trade.

Leaning forward he placed a silent kiss on her palm.

Hinata woke up to darkness. Blinking rapidly to clear her vision, she looked around trying to make out shapes in the pitch black. Sitting up, she quickly rubbed her hands over her face to increase the blood flow. How long had she been asleep? A stiff kink in her neck and back gave her the clue that it had been a while, still she began to slide her feet off the bed to open the curtains when a hand shot out to grab her shoulder.

"Slowly, it's been a few days."

Freezing in her movements, Hinata squinted in the direction that the voice came from.

"Sh-shino?"

The hand had left her, leaving a cold spot on her shoulder. A shadow moved to her left followed by rustling. A small stream of fading light seeped through the curtains. She waited for him to respond, feeling lost in the dark.

"It's me."

She sighed, grateful that it wasn't someone that she would feel uncomfortable with. Listening to the quiet sounds of glass being moved and water being poured, she stretched her legs out and reaching out towards them. She wanted to get out of the bed and stretch properly but knew that Shino wouldn't have it until he had inspected her himself. He was always like that on missions: the boss.

"Here."

Jumping at the sudden nearness, she blindly held out a hand towards his voice. After a few seconds of aimless groping, she felt a sturdy hand gently grab hers and wrap it around the cool glass.

"Th-thank you."

Securing both hands around the glass, she slowly sipped. The water was refreshing, sliding down her parched throat. Her eyes were becoming more accustomed to the darkness; she could now vaguely make out Shino's form as he sat on the edge of her bed. She figured that he wasn't opening the curtains because of what happened last time.

"How do you feel Hinata?"

Bringing the cup down from her lips she smiled at him in the dark, momentarily forgetting that he probably couldn't see her expression.

"M-much b-better, th-thank you."

Hinata meant it too, the rest had fully restored her and the excruciating pain that she had felt was all but gone. Turning towards the small bedside table, she set down the cup and pulled back the 

sheets. She felt rather then saw Shino get up and make room as she swung her feet towards the ground.

He watched as she stood up, feeling the anxiety wash away as she calmly went to the window and yanked open the curtains. The last colors of twilight were fading away, but the light there was didn't seem to affect her at all. Seeing the peaceful look on her face, he smiled to himself.

"We can leave whenever you're ready."

Hinata nodded, letting him lead the way out of the room. She kept her expression impassive as she watched the tense way he checked the hallway before letting her step out. This was beyond the usual protective manner he was when they were on missions. Thinking this had suspicions growing in her mind as she quickened her pace to catch up.

"Sh-shino?"

He was scanning everywhere, sending out a few kikaichu for insurance. Business was business after all and it was even more important since it was Hinata that he was supposed to protect. Thinking of the close call that already happened had him double checking the area as they stepped out into the night.

"Sh-shino?"

Glancing down, he felt a moment's guilt at the questioning look on her face.

"You are placed under Team Eight's protection under your attackers are located."

Hinata blinked blankly at his blunt explanation. She was barely taking in their surroundings as she tried to understand what was going on.

"Huh?"

Instead of answering her though, she watched as Shino continued on to wherever they were going at a fast walk. Squinting in the dark Hinata tried get a look at his face but couldn't only make out the dark spots on his face that were his glasses. How did he see at all with those on at night?

He didn't have to say anything though; all the tension that was radiating from him was setting her on edge. Finally taking in the area they were in, she was surprised that they weren't heading towards the Hyuuga compound but in the complete opposite direction.

Reaching out she grabbed his sleeve.

"Wh-where are w-we g-going?"

Shino sighed as he slowed down. He had been hoping that they'd be somewhere safe before she started asking questions, but glancing at her tense face he relented a little. Feeling bold in the comforting dark, he took the hand that was gripping his sleeve and entwined their hands together.

"We are meeting Kiba and Kurenai-sensei."

He tried to ignore the faint heat that was spreading across his cheeks. This was not the time to pursue a relationship, but even knowing that he couldn't contain the small loosening of tension inside him. It was just better, having some contact with her.

Glancing over he felt his stomach tighten at the pleased look on her face as she stared straight ahead, refusing to look at him.

"Wh-where are w-we m-meeting them?"

He pointed with his other hand at the corner that was a feet ahead of them. There was a large, leafless tree looming over the wall on the other side. It was always their meeting place when team eight was going to go on a mission.

As if on cue, one large shape bounded around the corner and headed straight at them.

"Took ya long enough!"

Hinata smiled as the shape got closer, gaining details. Akamaru was prancing happily towards her, long tongue lolling out in preparation of licking her as Kiba rode on his back, hyper as always.

Shino frowned as she let go of his hand to meet the two. They couldn't have waited till they were around the corner? His eyes flickered over as Kurenai stepped around with a small resigned look on her own face.

"We were so worried! Weren't we Akamaru!

The two were smothering her in hugs and licks. Hinata took it in stride though, use to their tactics. Reaching out to rub behind Akamaru's ears, she smiled up at Kiba as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Sorry I worried you guys."

Kiba vigorously shook his head as he backed off, finally feeling the possessive glare of his other team mate.

"Don't be stupid."

She only nodded while giving the dog one last pat before backing. They were such a handful but still able to bring a smile to her face. Turning around, she shared a glance with the woman who had practically been her surrogate mother and mentor since she was eight. Smiling softly, she watched the tension around the woman's eyes ease as she smiled back.

"We will discuss the mission now."

Shino watched as Kiba rolled his eyes at Hinata and Kurenai before turning to face him, a smirk on his face. Ignoring this, Shino focused his attention on Kurenai and Hinata, his impassive posture and expression back in place.

"Hinata is excluded from this since we are assigned to protect her from possible assassination threats until ANBU find whoever is trying to eliminate the Hyuuga Clan heiress's."

He watched as Hinata's eyes widened at the last part, her lips parting to speak but closing silently. Even in the darkness he saw the anger burning in her eyes at the mention that her sister was in danger too.

For a moment she looked absolutely threatening. The thought sent a thrill down Shino's spine as Kurenai stepped up, taking over the speaking position.

"Another team has been assigned to the younger sibling, but we will have to remove Hinata from the mansion for the time being. Since she was attacked at the Aburame compound, that's off the list also. This leaves two possible choices, Kiba's or we can place her in an temporary apartment with us in the rooms on either side."

Shino invisible shuddered at the idea of spending an unknown amount of time in Kiba's place, too many animals and way too much damn noise. He'd end up killing someone before it was over.

Kurenai must have been thinking the same thoughts because she hastily changed her tune.

"I think it's best if we go with the apartment plan, that way we have some privacy, agree?"

Hinata looked like she was lost in thought, her eyes unfocused on something beyond the group. Surprisingly Kiba looked uncomfortable, nodding quickly at the suggestion. Shino nodded once to show his approval.

Inside Kurenai sighed in relief.

There was simply no way she would have survived in the Inuzuka Clan's house.

A/N: I had major writer's block..it was incredibly painful, I wanted to write but couldn't get it right.Ahwell, it happens…


	12. Chapter 12

_His hands reached up to cup her face, holding her in place as she tried to control her breathing. It wasn't an easy task; her whole body was going into overdrive with every closing centimeter his face took towards her. She wanted this. She did. Her eyes felt heavy as lead, falling shut as his breathe whispered across her lips before closing the final distant between them. _

_Everything exploded._

_Suddenly she felt as if her lungs were being squeezed painfully, the constricting in her chest relentless as his arms encircled her, roughly crushing her body against his. Suddenly her whole body was on fire, burning against his colder temperature. In response, she shivered in delight as his hand slowly moved lower on her back._

_Then she felt his tongue glide across her lips. _

"Hinata?"

A warm hand on her head had her jerking up from the chair she had been sleeping on. Looking around quickly, she relaxed as Kiba's grinning face met her line of vision.

"Kiba?"

She pushed her hair back out of her face as she got to her feet, ignoring the fading sensations she focused on her surroundings. The chair she had been on was located under a small window that was across from the equally tiny kitchen. She didn't have to look any further to remember that the bedroom was behind the kitchen wall, just as small as the rest of the apartment.

Her temporary cage.

"You had fallen asleep but it's almost dinner, so Shino thought I should wake you up."

Nodding silently, she followed her scruffy teammate out of the living room, trying not to show the indecision. It had been a week since she was released from the hospital. A week since they have been relocated in two apartments.

A week since Shino had acknowledged their mutual feelings.

Now she spent her days trying to train in the cramped living room, pushing the scratchy couch against the wall, Hinata was put against the obstacle of staying sharp while not necessarily moving a lot.

It proved exhausting, consisting of small refine movements that had to be extended until her muscles were quivering from the restrained effort.

That wasn't hard compared to the silence she endured from the bug using shinobi.

What had she done?

Head drooping as the worn question popped up, she entered the kitchen in a haze of uncertainty. Kurenai was at the stove, happily ladling stew into five bowls. It was like her sensei to try and treat this like a vacation rather than a serious mission.

She didn't stop her eyes from peeping out towards the tall shadow in the corner. Dark glasses in place, Hinata felt like cringing at the indifference that surrounded him as he tilted his head towards her.

It was colder than before that storm.

The only thing she could think of was that she had done something to make him upset.

"Here you go Hinata."

Kurenai's kind face smiled at her as she automatically reached out for the bowl, not really seeing it until her fingers bumped into the side, successfully knocking the scalding soup down her hand and wrist.

A sharp hiss of breath was all she allowed herself to show, ignoring the others; she waved away their concern with a brief smile before excusing herself.

"It's okay, I'm not really that hungry, I'll go wash this off."

It was a rude retreat and she felt ashamed at brushing them off in such an offensive manner, but she really wasn't hungry. Walking to the bathroom, she turned on the cold water as she shrugged out of her stew soaked coat.

Gently putting her throbbing arm under the water, she sighed in relief. Soon the skin was reddening with what she surmised was a second degree burn when a presence behind her had her back stiffening.

"Is it serious?"

Shrugging awkwardly, she turned away from the doorway, facing the small shower in the corner. It would be her luck to have him finally speaking to her only after she did something incredibly stupid.

"Let me see."

It was closer now, Hinata felt his breathe caressing her shoulder as she froze.

"I-I'm f-f-fine."

She closed her eyes, waiting to hear the sound of retreating footsteps, but was shocked when strong hands whipped her around. She grimaced as her wrist hit the inside of sink. Opening her eyes she could only blink at him.

"No you are not, now let me see."

It was such a turn of events, all Hinata could do was lifted her dripping hand up for him to see. When his hands came up to physically inspect, she focused her gaze past his shoulder, numbly aware that he had shut the door after he entered.

"Sh-shino?"

In truth his cold hands felt great on her throbbing limb, but she wasn't going to embarrass herself by admitting it.

"It seems to not be terrible; still you should put some ointment on it."

He hadn't realized how gruff that came out until her eyes lowered sadly. He had been hoping she would understand why he was acting like nothing happened, they were on a mission after all and shouldn't show their affections. Right?

Still, he found his thoughts wondering towards her when he was on watch in the middle of the night. Or when he was trying to sleep on the uncomfortable couch, being tortured by the fact that her warm body was only a room away, and wrapped up in softer blankets.

This was probably his hardest mission.

A/N: Whoa that was seriously the shortest chapter ever..sad times.. now I know where I want this to go but it's taking time getting it all out XX So bare with me aye? Now let me muse for a moment, so humor me. I like this pairing for several reasons; Shino does not over coddle her like Naruto. He has serious faith in her skill as a ninja and has no problem helping her achieve her goals, even if he has to be mean and that's what Hinata needs. Also, he always looks out for her, it might not seem as open as the others, but I think that's because he has that incredible amount of faith. :Leans back: I just think they compliment very well..but I'm also open minded when it comes to pairings, unless it's with Sasuke…blah..


	13. Chapter 13

Hinata stood there, battling two different choices in her head. One was to ignore the attention that Shino was giving her, taking it all that he was just acting out of comradely concern. Two was to buck up and openly ask him what it was that she did that made him ignore her. The first option made her sad, knowing that even if she did brush it off like nothing happened that she would still be left agonizing over it until he decided to speak up.

Shino was not known for sharing his thoughts.

The second option on the other hand would mean that Hinata had to push aside her nonintrusive nature and become bold enough to question his actions.

That made her mentally cringe.

"It seems to not be terrible; still you should put some ointment on it."

In the end, she had decided on fleeing at the first opportunity. It wasn't a coward's choice; she reasoned it was a good choice to maintain the good attitude in the team. Yes that was it, good team attitude.

Nodded humbly, she went to move past him but was stopped when his hand tightened on her upper arm. Blinking up at him, she tried to stall the increase in her heart or the irrational panic that rose when he stepped closer to her.

"It's in the cabinet, you put it there."

Hinata blinked rapidly, huh? When did she do that? She couldn't even think straight, his nearness was causing her breathe to quicken and her confusion grow. Suddenly she couldn't take it, pushing him away she flushed terribly at the shock that flinted across his face.

"W-why a-are you talking to me?"

Shino stilled. Her eyes had been growing wider with every second but he had thought that it was because this was both new to them, this affection. Now he saw that it had it all wrong, that he was initiating something unwanted to her.

It hurt more than it should, after all he was used to being pushed away right?

Slowly he let his hand drop from her shoulder and backed up until his back gently hit the door. It came out as a soft murmur but he hadn't intended it to be any louder, knowing that there were two, no three excellent ninja in the room next to the bathroom.

"Do you not want me to talk to you anymore, Hinata?"

Her name on his tongue sounded so, sensual, and her first response was to profusely apologize to him for being stupid. Instead she bit back her loud protest, remembering that there was only an inch thick piece of wall between them and her other teammates.

"No, I j-just don't u-understand, y-you've been i-ignoring me and now.."

She trailed off hopelessly waving a small hand in-between them.

He stared at her for a moment, inwardly berating himself for even trying to act like nothing was there, it wasn't like Kurenai and Kiba didn't already know how the two felt for each other, Hell Kiba even punched him for taking too long.

So why was he trying to hide it? Embarrassment? No, he relished in the fact knowing she was even remotely interested in him.

Her voice was steady, despite its lack in volume, but the words had him tensing further.

"Are you scared, Shino?"

She had watched him, her pearl eyes catching every movement and twitch as she waited for a response. Her own mind categorizing all that has happened between in and not finding anything that could possibly make him so upset that he didn't want to talk to her. Then she realized that she was being extremely self-center. It didn't have to necessarily have to deal with just her and him, it could be just him.

That's when something clicked.

She could not think of a time when Shino received looks from girls, ever. They were always turned away by the bugs.

If she was in his place, she would be terrified of entering a relationship.

For a strong leader, he was just as insecure as she was. Why did she always forget that?

That thought had a slow smile form on her lips as she made her way towards him.

His breathing caught as the girl boldly stepped towards him, pausing only seconds to reach up and pull off his glasses, protectively curling her hand around the lenses. Her eyes were soft and tender as she smiled up into his revealed eyes. Delicate fingers traced the brow above them before lightly resting on his chest.

His mind went numb at the contact, his skin practically vibrating with the purring of the kikaichu as his arms wrapped around her waist on their own accord. Lucky for him that his body seemed to know what to do even when his mind was blank.

"Shino, it's me."

She was right; he should have known that she would see straight to the point eventually. She always had a knack in figuring him out. He didn't even need to hear to hear her to know that he had been acting stupid and childish.

She was right, it was her, and Hinata would never intentionally hurt him.

"Sorry, I'm stupid?"

It was a rare concession, him admitting that he was weak but she only responded with a brilliant smile. He didn't return it, just continued to stare into her eyes.

Moments ticked by.

Suddenly the relaxed air was replaced with something stronger, something more potent.

Shino felt light headed as the lavender sheen eyes began to darken. Her cheeks weren't darkening with the usual blush of embarrassment, but with a lighter color that spread slowly down her neck.

He didn't even know his eyes had followed it until they stopped on the full bottom lip. He wasn't use to having such intimate thoughts. Sure he was a guy and had the occasional vulgar thought but this was different, this was a desire that been leashed and harness for years.

She had always been untouchable.

Or so it seemed, now he had her in his arms. She wasn't stuttering or passing out, but calmly looking at him as if she already figured something out and was patiently waiting for him to catch up.

With that blush.

Cautiously, giving her enough time to pull away, Shino tipped his head down to gently press his lips against her.

Hinata sunk into the kiss, letting a small sigh escape as he tightened the embrace. It wasn't a kiss that cried of urgency, no it was soft and undemanding. She knew that he was satisfied with this and so was she. It wasn't that she didn't feel the building urge to deepen it, she just felt content to start off slow.

His lips were so smooth and cold, as if he had been outside in the snow for too long and she savored the unique way it felt to have her own heat slowly warm him up.

"Shino? Hinata? You fix your han…"

The door being abruptly opened sent several things into action. Shino's body was thrust forward, crashing his head and not to mention lips painfully against Hinata's, sending the surprised girl flailing backwards in the shower stall and successfully knocking her head sharply against the tile wall as shampoo bottles fell around her.

Catching himself he grabbed his head and turned around to kill whoever entered the bathroom.

Kiba and Kurenai stood in the doorway, looking like two grinning idiots as they took in the scene. Obviously they thought they had tried to catch the two in the 'act' and felt proud that they almost had.

Kiba was the first to speak, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he pointed at glaring Shino.

"Ha! You guys _were_ doing something! I _told_ you Kurenai! Look he doesn't even have his glasses on!"

Laughing exuberantly, he quickly stepped forward to get a peak at Hinata.

"Hey Hinata it took you guys…. Hinata?"

She felt the world spin as she slowly sat up, not noticing the spilled bottles of shampoo as she reached up to clutched her head. It radiated with pain at having been hit with two hard surfaces within seconds. Groaning she opened her eyes to see three sets looking at her with varying degrees of concern.

"Hey you okay Hinata?"

Kiba's voice had her quickly standing up and pressing herself against the shower wall. Had they seen? A furious blush made its return with a vengeance as she took in the amused expression on her sensei's face. She refused to look anyone in the eye as she stepped out, forcing them to retreat.

Why couldn't they be attacked now and save her from this?

"Yes, I-I'm fine."

Reaching up to prod the back of her head, she managed to not wince at the tender spot.

"What are we going to do with you, you're already beat up. Attacked by stew, thrown into a shower, nothing domestic seems to like you today."

Hinata sighed as she shrugged good naturedly at Kurenai, not missing the gleam in the woman's eyes as Kiba laughed. It could be a long night.

Luckily Shino felt the same and had found a solution.

"Who's on watch?"

That had Kiba and Kurenai jump guiltily before the team's leader whisked away, leaving Kiba to walk out towards the couch with a yipping Akamaru at his heels. His laughter slowly dying as he began to get ready for a short nap before taking over the watch.

Hinata sagged against the counter, letting out a brief sigh of relief. She had all but forgotten Shino's presence until he spoke, causing her to jump in fright.

"Hinata, where are my glasses?

He watched as the color faded from her face, leaving her completely pale and panicked. That was answer enough for him, and his face showed no surprise as she slowly opened her right hand, revealing forgotten glasses.

Broken and beyond repair.

Later that night, after he had calmed down the frantic young girl, reassuring her that it wasn't a problem and that he always carried an extra pair, Shino laid on the pallet that was situated at the end of the bed that Hinata and Kurenai shared. Listening to the soft sounds of the girl as she slowly settled into sleep, he replayed the moments before they had been interrupted.

He would have easily sacrificed his glasses for another couple minutes of that.

A/N: if instinct serves me correctly, Kurenai and Kiba might play a bigger role next chapter..but I never know….I'm not sure if this is going to be a long story (longer then it is) and if I'm going to wrap it up soon…so (and I can't believe I'm doing this) I'm setting up a poll on my profile for you to decide… XX Their relationship is in your hands


	14. Chapter 14

Ruby eyes scanned the area with precision, never leaving an area left unlooked for long as she stood on the roof. It had been a while since she was on a protect mission, having a team made with tracking skills usually mean hunting people done, not waiting with the hunted. It was an alien feeling she had and not a nice one.

Did Hinata ever get a break?

The woman tried not to pucker her brow as an image of the young woman popped up in her mind. After being practically disowned by her own father and labeled as a failure, Kurenai had been the one to pick up the pieces that Hiashi had made of his eldest daughter.

It did not raise her opinion of him in anyway, in fact Kurenai tended to have to hold back the vicious urge to genjutsu the old man whenever she as around him. A well controlled trait that Asuma always admired in her.

Having a temper did have its upside she supposed.

Catching a glimpse of something on a nearby roof, she slid farther back in the shadows, hands tense and ready to fly hand signals.

Kiba could not fall asleep for the life of him. For the last hour he had been tossing and turning on the stuffy couch. He didn't even know couches could be this _itchy_. A comfortable Akamaru was snoring lightly on the ground next to him and he couldn't help but feel that the dog had gotten the better sleeping arrangement.

Though Shino definitely topped them both.

Thinking that caused a large grin to erupt on his face. Man he still could not believe it had taken those two this long to realize that they liked each other. Kiba couldn't tell if it had been from a bone deep fear of confessing or the bottomless pit of Shino's patience that had been the cause but he was sure as hell that he could have never been able to withstand that many years, let alone months.

His grin became wolfish as he slipped off the couch to stretch out by his dog, his thoughts turned to recent events with a certain brash blonde.

Hell, not even _days_.

His grin faded as he started to compare the two relationships. A gut feeling told him that what was going on between Shino and Hinata wasn't a passing fling, but something darker and deeper. Something that was going to slowly melt the two until they were one.

The real deal.

His frown twisted at the thought. He wasn't honestly sure of his and Ino's course but that's probably why he loved it so much. She was loud, vain, and completely unpredictable.

It got him going so fast.

Civil conversation between them was few and far, always escalating to a either a shouting or making out match. He couldn't resist, that girl knew exactly how to get him going.

She, he thought drowsily, was as wild as he was.

Sleep was out of the question as Hinata once again tried to focus her mind on the black ceiling above her and not on the sleeping form that was invisible on the floor. When did he and Kiba switched positions? Probably cause Kiba was next on night watched and they didn't want to wake her.

It irked her how fast they were treating her like a complete civilian when it came to this. She could darn well take care of herself and they knew it.

Frowning at her toes her thoughts returned back to him.

Shino.

It shook her, how easy it was for him to invade all her senses, leaving her slightly dizzy with excitement and apprehension. She wasn't new to feelings like this, but to the intensity of them. She had never wanted to daringly push Naruto into a wall and kiss him like she did when Shino had quietly walked into the bedroom. Even then she barely resisted.

Just merely his eyes made her want to break the protective shell she had created around herself.

Luckily she had never seen his eyes before now, or else she would have been doomed.

Ignoring the heat that was spreading over her face, she closed her eyes and replayed the bathroom scene in her head. She had really surprised herself, stepping up to him like that. She had watched the flicker of emotions flash in his eyes, frowning in bed as she recalled the fear and uncertainty as he had slowly leaned down to kiss her.

She did not like an uncertain Shino.

Or was it the fact that she had secretly wanted him to kiss her like she was his.

The thought sent a burning flush over her body, part in embarrassment and part in desire? She wasn't sure.

She tried to focus on the new feeling but sleep was finally catching up with her, slowly letting the grasp on her consciousness disappearing.

Shino was torn.

All the new emotions that Hinata was creating was becoming almost too much for the normally detached teen. And to make it worse, he had kissed her while they were on a mission!

Still, if he could do it now he knew he wouldn't hesitate to claim those lips.

So where did that leave them? Were they official?

An ache behind his eyes was starting to throb as he thought of all the relationship technicalities that he didn't know.

Though he did know he wanted her, and badly.

Groaning in frustration, he quickly rolled from the floor and headed towards the bathroom, pausing only to grab his bag and take a quick reassuring but agonized glance at Hinata. Maybe a hot shower would help relieve this?

He shut the door and turned to face the shower stall, images flitting up in his eyes as he set the bag down.

Nope, cold shower.

Kurenai tried to keep her breathing to a minimum, taking deep breathes that would last longer. The shadow was definitely not a friendly and she had been shadowing it for the last half hour. The ninja would flicker back and forth on the rooftops surrounding the building complex, and she could only guess that they were trying to look for all the possibilities of entering without being detected.

Her eyes narrowed as a second shadow appeared, still unlike the other one, and the twist in her gut told her it was looking right at her.

Biting back a feral grin, she straightened up and stepped two feet to her left.

And stomped her foot down hard.

Vacationing was over.

Shino was just wrapping a towel around his waist loosely when Kiba burst through the door. Not flinching, Shino slipped on his glasses and turned to face his teammate, a single eyebrow raised in question.

"Kurenai sent out the signal!"

Ice rushed through his veins at the excited look on the dog using shinobi's face. In the room next to them, he could hear faint rustling, Hinata must have heard him.

"Go to her, I'll stay with Hinata. Now!"

The two had been bouncing on their feet, barely keeping themselves from leaping through the roof. At Shino's word, they vanished from the spot.

"Kiba? Shino?"

Before he could reach out and shut the door, Hinata's face appeared from around the corner.

Time stopped.

Her mind went blissfully blank as she took in the tone contours of his chest and stomach, barely registering the water droplets that still clung to him. Sure she knew he was built like any other shinobi, but she was dead surprised at how she reacted to the sight. Flames curled somewhere below her stomach as she took in the light complexion that covered his entire body, absently thinking that she was glad his body didn't see much sunlight. Shino in short, was a beautifully made male.

Then time caught up with her.

Shino watched nervously as her eyes glazed over as they roamed over his nakedness, and he held back the urge to reach up and scratch his head.

Then he blink as a horrified expression took over her face, eye wide with fear as she stumbled back. Hitting the wall with her arms, he watched her push herself away and race to the bedroom.

The sound of a slamming door didn't reach his numb ears.

A/N: I'm on a roll, three chapters in a week.


	15. Chapter 15

Kurenai did not _lose_.

Sometimes she was _delayed,_ but never does she lose.

It was a mentality her team picked up on almost instantly when they had first met. Kurenai was human after all and pride was something she had in abundance.

This did not stop the ninja from slamming his fist into her ribcage. Nor did it stop her gasping in pain as a small crack was felt beneath her skin.

Kiba and Akamaru had showed up at the right time, bowling over the second opponent as she continued with the one that had spotted her.

Damn dark.

She couldn't get his eyes in her vision; the night's cloudy sky was too dark for her to see, which ruled out her genjutsu.

Damn timing.

Recovering quickly, she blocked his next punch with her arm, leaving the other one to reach back and get a kunai. It was a sloppy job but she couldn't let them get past them and towards Hinata, though the girl could probably hold her own.

From a distance she could hear snarls and growls, not bothering to try and tell which animal it was from. It had been a long time since she tried to tell Kiba and Akamaru's sounds apart, they were just too similar when it came to that.

Sparks momentarily dazzled her eyes as metal scraped against metal.

Hinata was horrified, no, mortified at how she reacted.

Worse was, even though she had shut the bedroom door, the image of Shino's mostly naked body seemed to have been burned in her retinas making her mouth go dry and her heart to race.

She was as bad as Ino and Tenten!

With shaky legs, she went over to sit on the edge of the bed. Letting her head fall into waiting hands, she groaned at the fact that she rather enjoyed ogling him.

"Hinata?"

He cautiously walked into the room, closing the door quietly before making his way over to stand in front of her, careful not to get to close. Her reaction still hot on his mind as he tried to 

instill some professionalism to the matter at hand. The incident should be spoken about, but his kikaichu just returned, leaving their private lives on hold until later.

"Kurenai and Kiba are fighting two unknown ninja on the roof. You are too remain in here, armed and ready."

He watched her head fly up at the information, her eyes going wide at the news and then a firm frown on her lips as it finally registered. Shino didn't have to ask to know that she wanted to go up there and help her team out.

"Don't think of trying to help, you are the objective of this mission and can not be put in harm's way."

She grimaced at the term 'objective' but decided to remain silent He was right after all, but still, it felt wrong to be waiting inside a apartment while her friends and team fought to protect her. Especially when she was a highly train kunoichi herself.

Then she realized that he was edging around her. Looking up at his solid form, her sheer eyes didn't miss the heavy coat and dark glasses. The way his head tilted ever so slightly to the right, as if he was already waiting for an attack.

Something akin to apprehension tightened in her chest.

"W-where are y-you going?"

He didn't want to tell her, he wanted to be able to boldly walk up to her like she had recently done and put his arms around her and kiss away the frown.

But, Shino was a coward, so instead of doing what everything in him was pulling towards, he turned away and put a hand on the door. Speaking to the grained wood he didn't turn to see her face.

"I'm going to….you know how we work."

And without another word, she watched as he quickly opened the door and left.

Staring at the spot where he had been standing only seconds ago, Hinata's mind raced to get herself in control. This was not the time to be acting on teenage feelings of love and lust, this was a dangerous situation and she had to be entirely focused on what was going on outside.

Shaking her head to clear away everything that had happened, she took a minute to even out her breathing.

One. Kiba and Akamaru.

Two. Kurenai.

Three. Shino.

Without pausing she opened her eyes and activated her bloodline. Staring up at the ceiling, she quickly scanned the area, frowning when she found no sign of her teammates.

Where were they?

"Kiba don't let them escaped!"

She didn't take the time to wonder why they had turned around and started to race towards the neighboring roofs. Nor did she stop to think that maybe it was a trick. In the back of her mind she knew that Shino wouldn't let Hinata out of his sight since he was the only one remaining, leaving her and Kiba to go after and capture the culprits.

Watching the person she was pursuing leap gracefully through the air, she was positive that she was fighting a woman. A very skilled kunoichi who knew a bit about hand to hand combat. Actually, Kurenai thought absently as the ninja turned to face her again, there was something very familiar about the way she raised her hands.

The thought was cut off by a black buzzing cloud, surrounding the girl and her partner. She distinctly heard Kiba growl at Shino to release his opponent and let him continue their fight and Shino's response.

Wait, she blinked, Shino?

Flashing her hands in the dark, she glared angrily as she appeared by the young man in question, speaking in a low tone that didn't carry over to the others.

"Do you realize that this was most likely a ruse to get us away from Hinata?"

It was amazing how her maternal instincts kicked in when she was about to teach her students a life lesson. As if some higher power gave her the extra energy to become extremely calm and patient, like the whole world was waiting for them to finish their important 'talk'.

Flicking an eye over to check up on Kiba and the now bug prisoners, she acted like she hadn't noticed the change in Shino; the straightening of the shoulders or the foot that slid back as if he was going to disappear any second.

Ah, lesson learned.

"We're pretty good here, return to Hinata and do no leave her until I return, clear?"

The area besides her was already empty.

"Good, now that he is gone…"

Turning back, she began to stalk towards the kunoichi, fully intending to let her and Kiba have a fair chance to beat these two fair and square. The tugging familiarity about her was something that Kurenai wanted to figure out before they knocked them unconscious.

Hinata was confused in the least, staring up at the empty roof, as if they would appear if she stared long enough.

"Nonsense."

Turning away, she was about to scan the surrounding houses when something caught her senses, sending a hand out in front of her like a weapon.

Shattering glass was the only thing she saw before a figure glided through the window and headed towards her. With eyes taking in everything at once, she slowly rose her other hand until it was poised by her hip, ready to lash out and strike like a snake at the smallest advancement.

"Do you think your little hands will hurt me?"

It was a purr that sent chilled goose bumps down her arms and she had to resist the urge to shiver and take a step back. Scowling at the shadow she spoke with a firm voice.

"Who are you?"

The answer was a low chuckle that had Hinata reassessing their positions. It didn't move though, just continued to hover by the window, blocking out her only light.

"Let's say an old family friend shall we? Now come here Hinata, I need your help."

The purring was back and this time Hinata did step back, feeling the wall behind her and the door to the left.

"What do you need my help for?"

She honestly didn't care but at that moment she felt another lovingly familiar presence growing stronger and had to keep herself from sprinting from the room towards it.

"I need your eyes"

That caught her attention.

A/N: I'm back!


	16. Chapter 16

She couldn't believe what she heard. Her eyes? What were so special about them? Before she could even think she heard her small voice.

"M-my e-eyes?"

The air felt thick and heavy making it difficult for her to take in a deep breath. Minutes were passing and she was beginning to make out a more defined shape of the person in front of her; tall with what she assume was long hair pulled back over narrow shoulders. Reaching the area that she assumed was his face she caught a flash of silver in the night, like the reflection from glass.

He laughed again.

"Yes, those eyes are precious to me."

Pushing back the faint rush of panic, Hinata retreated another step. This person's chakra was amazing, far more advance then her own, sending her into a more defensive position.

"I'm your opponent."

His hands were icy as they firmly pulled her behind him, blocking the threat with his tall broad frame and she couldn't hold back the jolt that shocked through her from the touch. Feeling elated with relief, she stood up straighter, more confident. Sure, on her own she couldn't have defeated this person, but with Shino here surely they together could hold him off.

It was strange how instincts overrode every other emotion when the situation called for it. Since he was an infant he was trained to discipline thoughts that caused any strong emotion. It was a method that left the grown Aburame a seemingly empty shell that was devoid of normal feelings. Or at least that was what it was suppose to do.

It didn't mean the emotions weren't there, lurking underneath the hard exterior. Shino still felt the pain of rejection, sharp and cold as a slap to the face. He felt tough tug of rage pulling when he was defeated. The tightening spasm of desire.

Shino felt the claws of possessiveness stretch in bloodshed yearning whenever someone threatened the soft body that was inches behind him. It was the most irrational feeling, the want to just reach out and hurt anyone who wanted to hurt let alone touch her. An ancient masculinity that had been passed down for centuries and he was not about to lock it up behind false calm.

"I do not think you want to engage in a fight child."

It was a real threat laced in softly whispered words, caressing the chill that threatened to break her arms out in goose bumps. Refusing to be intimated, Hinata side stepped to stand by Shino's side, all hesitation gone in his solid reassuring presence

"Why are you trying to get my eyes? And I'm assuming my sisters."

Her voice was firm and cool as ice, causing Shino to hold back a smug smile full of pride. She really was a wolf hidden in sheep's clothing.

"Clever, actually either of your eyes would work for my purpose but you have had more training then the smaller Hyuuga. She is still weak in places that you are strong."

Off handed compliment that it was, Hinata wasn't to be distracted. Her baby sister was being threatened and while they hadn't always been as close as they are now, she would never tolerate any harm done to her.

"Stay away from her."

Shino blinked behind the glasses, a little surprised by the venom in her voice.

"Then come with me Hinata, I need you."

She paused, catching the small note of desperation in his voice. That didn't sound exactly evil.

Shino was not impressed, and had reached his limit of communication.

"I think this is over, we'll let the interrogation squad handle this when we hand him over."

This time there was not laughter in the dark, but silence and that was the only warning they got before the attack.

Glass that had layered the floor earlier was now hovering in the air for mere seconds before flying at them at an alarming pace. Instinct to take cover was denied as Hinata stepped in front of Shino.

It wasn't an option to push her out of the way now, he saw that she was committed and it would only hurt her to interfere now. Standing out of the range of her deadly arms, he watched in vague fascination as she smoothly brought out a sharp kunai in each hand before stepping into her defensive position.

Shino never watched her try the sixty four palms with a weapon in her hands, it never occurred to either of them to try it, being as it was so affective anyway. Seeing now the shards that connected with the blurred weapons become fine sand, he turned his attention to the man in front of her.

He watched as the form shifted again, seemingly correcting his position in accordance with the moons shadow. So, he was keeping his face hidden. Does that mean they know him or would recognize him? The jutsu of sending objects wasn't something Shino remembered in his list of acquaintances. Maybe Hinata would know him, but then why would he attack her?

Focusing on the empty windowsill behind him, he narrowed in his as he made a quick decision. Leaning forward enough so she could hear him without taking anything important off, he spoke in a controlled tone.

"Hinata, moon is going down. Let me."

It could have been a command or request, she wasn't really sure but listened all the same. Anything left of the glass wouldn't hurt him now, being so small it'd probably only sting. Stopping the flow of her arms, she almost felt the moment of weakness in their duo. The moment where neither had any defensives up as they switched roles. The sliver of space that would allow anything to happen and they would have to go with it unprepared.

His chance.

She didn't feel or hear a thing, only saw her vision that held Shino seem to swing and blur. Suddenly the ground became extremely close she closed her eyes and she waited for the impact but it never came. Confused she tried to lift her lids to see what had happened but found that she couldn't. Fear unfurled in her chest as her heart began to pound faster; what was going on?

Then blackness overtook her.

Even his bugs didn't sense the movement until the shadow caught a falling Hinata. He didn't know what the hell happened, she had been fine one moment; tense and ready to withdraw when he took her place. And then the next moment she had her eyes closed and was falling towards the floor like she had fainted but he had distinctly saw her eye close as if she knew what was happening and just gave up.

Watching them move towards the window, it was as if time had taken up a double pace. Shino didn't even pause to think, just lunge forward with his kikaichu exploding out of his body as he directed them towards the man holding the girl.

Words seemed to have disappeared all together, leaving nothing but a horrifying silence as the two fought. The sounds of metal on metal weren't there, leaving the slight ringing that they made, only a soft rush of air was heard as the bugs colliding with black clouds from a dropped smoke bomb.

"Shit!"

Disoriented in a black choking smoke, Shino didn't even see the departure of the ghost holding his girlfriend.

A/N: confusing…I'm not very good at elaborate fight scenes.

P.S: KingSpew, every review you send makes me laugh. D So I thought I'd mention you in appreciation! Yay!


	17. Chapter 17

It was several minutes later that she realized she hadn't passed out. The darkness around her was shifting constantly, enveloping her in thick black smoke.

Smokescreen?

Then she felt the arms holding her tightly and she gasped, inhaling a large amount of foul tasting smoke.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, too much of that could make you seriously ill."

Spluttering on fear and choking on smoke, Hinata gave into the blood rushing panic. Even though her mind was telling her it was futile, she couldn't control her limbs as they began to struggle against the ones that were holding her in a tight grip.

The ones that sent excruciating pain shooting down her arms as they squeezed harder.

"Be sensible."

The even tone grated on her already frayed nerves but helped her calm down enough to focus on everything. She needed to regain her composure and not let the fear overtake her judgment of this situation, this guy wasn't kidding and she needed to think of a plan that will allow Shino enough time to get the others.

There was no doubt in her mind that he'd come get her. It was just the problem of waiting, patiently.

Slowly she forced her body to relax. Grimacing at the physical contact; this person didn't have the comforting warmth of Kiba or Akamaru and he especially didn't have the loving cool of Shino. No, this man sent a chill to her toes with his touch.

"There, not all that bad?"

Refusing to talk, she stared grimly into the thinning smoke.

They had better hurry.

Kiba wasn't sure what had happened but would dare to venture a guess when he saw the destroyed room with only one of their teammates standing in the middle with his swarm of bugs. The agitated insects vibrated the whole area with buzzing as their host periodically threw out a command for them to attack random objects.

This stopped them short; their stoic teammate never lost control.

"Shino what happened?"

If he hadn't known better, he would have said that the shinobi flinched at the question but brushed it off as Kurenai took over.

"Where did they do?"

They watched as he pointed towards the shattered window, pointedly ignoring the tight tone in his low voice.

"There was only one, with amazing chakra."

This had Kiba and Kurenai glancing at each other with surprise. The genjutsu user could see that Kiba was surprised that someone had gotten past his teammate. She had other concerns. Amazing chakra? It wouldn't be any of them would it? Shaking her head, Kurenai formed a series of hand signs before going to the window.

"Alright, let's go, our group is ideal for tracking and we have an advantage as we are all familiar with Hinata."

She saw that Shino was already gone, leaving Kiba and her in his dust. She turned to see Kiba sharing a worried look with Akamaru.

"What is it?"

It was rough but she didn't bother apologizing, Kiba was man enough to take harsh words. Look at who was his mother, Konoha's Claw. It had better be something trivial; they didn't need any more problems.

Kiba in his turn just stared straight ahead in an usually quiet manner.

"It's nothing; let's go before we lose them."

Not giving her the time to respond, he leapt out to follow the Aburame with Akamaru at his heels.

Quickly following suit, Kurenai allowed a heavy sigh escape her lips.

This had 'bad news written all over it.

Hinata blinked like an owl, eyes wide and slow to move as the rapid pace of her kidnapper didn't slow. They must have been traveling for hours, yet he didn't seem to tire at all. The giant trees of the Hidden Leaf were slowly thinning, leaving growing spaces between each trunk and branches, starlight leaked through when the branches were bare of their big green leaves.

Which was odd, hadn't it been about dawn when she was taken? Why was it still dark?

Refusing to speak to her captor, she took to looking around. If only she could use the Byakugan then she'd be able to pinpoint exactly where they were at and where they were heading. Uncertainty stopped her, this person wanted her eyes after all and she didn't want to give anything away, though it seemed like he knew at least a little about the Hyuuga blood limit.

Even with all the reasons not too, Hinata eventually gave in to temptation. Closing her eyes briefly, she mouthed 'Byakugan' as she reopened them, feeling the blood rushing to her eyes in order to increase her vision. When she had first done it, it had felt as if she had needles poking her eyeballs, something that never went away, she just got use to it to the point that she was able to ignore it.

They were definitely on the border of Konoha and the Sand, but instead of heading into the desert, they had curved to west. She frowned at the course; they were running on the invisible border between the two countries. From what she knew of the surrounding area (which wasn't much) there weren't any town or small villages for a long distance.

"Silly but brave girl, as if I can't see you using those precious eyes of yours."

The whispered words were heavy in her ear causing her to tense up from the underlying threat. So busy in her studying what was ahead of her, she had forgotten the person carrying her. His presence had been all but invisible due to the extreme closeness of his body.

The closeness that repulsed her but Hinata wasn't going to let the under waves of fear overtake her trained control. Kunoichi's did not lose their head because of unwanted contact; some were even specially trained to handle those types of situations. She knew Ino had been asked to do several missions that involved penetration in a rogues club for information; the beautiful ninja had used seduction as a key to get her and whoever else inside.

The image of a faceless man trying to seduce her sent cold shivers down her spine and she resisted the urge to shake them away.

In attempt to elude the images and to test the waters with her mysterious kidnapper, Hinata spoke softly; her tone exuding unwavering confidence.

"They will come."

A/N: I just figured out that I've been spelling 'lunge' as 'lounge' …sighs never caught it because of spell checker…sad times..

Anyway I would like to give my thanks to everyone who has loyally followed this story so far, it makes me really warm and fuzzy knowing people are actually reading this because it did start off as a lame writing exercise (as most of my stories do). Also to everyone who takes the time to review, I appreciate it a lot!

By the way, there might be darker content in the next chapters (I never really know) so the rating will be changed…also some long awaited fluff (I know I've been waiting)… just a heads up !


	18. Chapter 18

Everything _burned_.

His lungs burned, feeling like he had been dropped into a frozen river. His muscles burned from the dead man's pace he had been going for the two days. His skin burned from the constant agitation that the kikai had been at since he had them destroy the room.

If he had been alone he would have never slowed down until he had Hinata in his grasp.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case.

Currently sitting on a fallen log, he tried to remain as still as possible as he fought to catch his breath. Across from him, Kiba and Kurenai were in a similar state of exhaustion, though the older kunoichi looked less winded then the two boys. While he was on the stump Kiba was collapsed against a seemingly fine Akamaru, panting for air as he choked out a question.

"What…now."

Shino ignored the agitated movement beneath the thin layer of his skin and turned towards his sensei. The kikai had been acting up since he left the room, eager and male-greedy to follow and find the female he had smartly place on Hinata at the beginning of their mission.

The attractive woman was standing towards the outside of their impromptu circle, one hand resting lightly on a swell of hip as she surveyed the area diligently. Her crimson eyes took in everything as she spoke in her deep, quiet voice.

"For one, we can't assume that there was just one, they could have wanted it to appear like that just to set up an ambush."

She paused to study her team briefly before continuing her watch and thoughts.

"They have the advantage at the moment, so let's be more cautious. We can't let emotions get in the way or else we could possibly send them into a panic and that would not bode well for Hinata."

Kurenai felt pretty good about her little speech. It hadn't shown any of the concern or anxiety that she was feeling at all, giving the two younger chuuin the reassuring security that they all needed right now.

"Alright."

Kiba agreed with her readily enough, after all he reasoned, she had more experience and wouldn't act so collected if Hinata was in serious danger. The woman had treated the girl like a daughter for the last couple years; she wouldn't be so calm if the situation was dire.

Plus she didn't smell like panic, so she must believe that or else lie really well with her body.

Shino thought it was well spoken bullshit.

But he wasn't going to lose face and tell her exactly where she could take all that reassurance. He knew that she was saying it only to comfort them, and though he didn't appreciate the slight coddling, it did prove one thing to him. Kurenai didn't coddle or comfort ever if not rarely, she was a strong kunoichi who had to work harder than any to get to the place she was now. So for her to take the time to reassure them meant only one thing to Shino.

Hinata was in more danger then they had thought.

The thought sent angry ripples through his arms as they tense with the need to release the building number of chakra happy bugs. They knew this wasn't the time to feed off their host's body, but he had been giving into unusual emotional fits over the past couple days that have produced random bouts of chakra in the places he usually released them from his body.

Unusual snacks for them, but possibly an inconvenience for him.

If they were attacked now he would considered himself in a weakened state, something an Aburame would never allow.

Shino mustn't be weakened when Hinata needed him the most.

"Get up you two, we're leaving."

Pushing away any more thoughts of Hinata and the possibilities of what could be happening to her, he grimly got up to join the others.

"Are you thirsty?"

Even though it was spoken in a kind soft tone, Hinata felt the urge to crawl away from him. It felt like he was caressing with her voice.

"N-no thank you."

Hinata loathed the tremor in her voice; she needed to be strong and capable until the others showed up.

It was just so unfamiliar.

He wasn't acting like normal bad guys. Instead of being intimidating and mean, he was being excessively nice and gentle.

"You need to keep your strength up."

This time she chose not to answer, taking the opportunity to look around. He had insisted that they stop to rest in a small valley, which Hinata found odd. A valley was the perfect for them to be attack, giving the enemies a perfect chance to ambush on all four sides, two having the advantage of attacking from higher ground.

Shifting, she tried to inconspicuously adjust her position on the ground. He had set her down in an almost tenderly fashion on the ground at the base of a overshadowing tree, letting her have the shade while the sun was high in the sky. After he had bounded her hands first, as to keep his 'precious moon orbs' from hurting him. Her wrists were starting to hurt from the friction of rough material rubbing on thin skin but she wouldn't give in to the temptation of complaining or showing weakness.

She would be _strong_.

Glancing away from the small river that they were by, she covertly studied her kidnapped through her lashes.

Medium build, with long black hair pulled back tightly from an aristocratic looking face. His clothes were nondescript, giving her no clue as to where he was from. Nor did his eyes, as they were covered in what looked like goggles.

No weapons. Not even a village headband to distinguish from.

Not helpful at all.

"Did you need something?"

Hinata blinked slowly, raising her head so her eyes boldly met his covered ones.

"Nothing from you except releasing me."

Inside her gut twisted uneasily as she saw something darker flicker across his face before a smile lifted his thin lips. He moved closer.

"Of course I can't do that, I need you."

Keeping her face blank, Hinata began to slowly build her chakra in her hands while trying to mask it at the same time. She wasn't going to keep her hands in a compromising position if he was going to try to get physical with her and a womanly instinct was warning her that it wasn't fighting he'd try.

"Why do you need me?"

Stall, come on, few more minutes.

"Ah, should I tell you my secret?"

He fell quiet for a few moments before moving closer and speaking again. She tried not to shudder at the impending closeness.

"A few years back I was evicted let's say, from my clan and village. I had been helping someone get…ingredients for his experiments'."

As he paused to sip from a canteen before continuing.

"Only my clan has a kekkei genkai that they did not want me sharing its secrets from the world," she began to work faster as his tone turned darker, "They had thought it more 'humane' to simply removed it from my possession instead of killing me."

Hinata didn't pause as something familiar hummed in her right ear but sharpened her hearing on what he was actually saying, his voice had lowered into a whisper with the next words.

"They ripped out my eyes."

That got her to pause.

"W-why?"

What a terrible thing to do to a person! Then her own perfect eyes widened as two things clicked together. He wanted her eyes for himself!

"But he made it all better, after all, he does tend to award those who could be useful to him. He perform surgery on me and gave me these splendid eyes."

She unintentionally flinched away when his hand casually went up to lift the goggles to show her.

The area around his eyes looked ghastly, sunken with a light green tinge from what she guess was decay. The eyes itself made her stomach churn in warning. The iris's must have been a light color once, probably blue but now the whole eyeball was turning a dark murky brown with infection, veiled with filmy substance that leaked from the corners of his eyes. After a minute, she figured it out that it was pus collecting around his eyes.

After a few minutes of horrified staring, Hinata swallowed several times to stop from throwing up as he lowered the goggles. She felt cold and clammy from the gruesome sight.

He continued as if she was sitting there calmly.

"Of course, every couple years I need to replace the eyes or else they rot."

He smiled in what she guessed was suppose to be a charming way, but all she saw in her mind were the molding eyes staring at her blankly with the white pus drying on the corners.

She tried to speak calmly but failed.

"S-so y-you want my e-e-eyes for yourself?"

Swallowing again, she almost wished he'd offer her water again, she really could use it now that her throat felt like cotton.

"Of course that was my original plan, but seeing you now I think I'll wait and check your abilities out. To have a child that would have my kekkei genkai would not have been possible unless the woman also had it. Now it seems that is an option."

All warmth drained from her body as Hinata stared horrified as he slowly pulled an object out of his pocket.

A/N: I hope that wasn't too predictable, oh well...I'm going to try and make the chapters longer but no gurantees.. If that happens I won't update as often.


	19. Chapter 19

They were closing in; he would have been able to guess that even if the Kikaichu weren't growing more restless at drawing nearer towards the female insect.

"Gah! I can't wait till the sun sets! I can't see a damn thing with it glaring like that!"

Shino took a second to look at young man who was only centimeters behind him. Being so close to their canine companions, Kiba and the rest of the Inuzuka clan had not only sensitive sense of smell, but also keener eyesight and hearing.

The wolfish teen had been whining for the last couple minutes when the trail had abruptly turned towards the setting sun, making him squint painfully into the bright rays.

With his own eyes safely hidden behind shaded lenses, Shino was currently in the lead position, being quickly followed by Kiba with Kurenai bringing in the rear.

"We very close now."

All fell silent after his quiet statement, each mentally preparing for the battle looming ahead. He was thinking of her, hoping that she was okay and that he wouldn't show up too late. She was a strong kunoichi but that guy was a mystery to them.

As if the other two were echoing his thoughts, they all silently picked up the pace.

Hinata stared at the object, several things running through her mind as he laughed at her.

"Familiar?"

It was obviously old, having tears and stains on the faded fabric but that didn't give her any trouble in identifying the symbol.

"How? What?"

If what he had told her earlier was true then this was going to shed some ugly sight on everything she had grown up knowing.

"Oh, they've probably grown more compassionate since I was exiled but those members are still around, as spiteful and arrogant about their superior position in life."

Staring at the man in front of her, Hinata felt as if someone had pulled the ground out from under her, leaving her nothing to stand on expect the feeling of disorientation.

"What? Can't believe that of your precious Hyuuga council?"

Until then he had been sitting uncomfortable close to her side, but now she watched as he suddenly bounded up from his spot to pace in front of her, full of irritated energy. She watched him warily, not having to see the trademark wild eyed look to know that he was beginning to lose it.

Hinata had to proceed with caution.

This was crucial information, not just to her but to the Hokage too! She had to get as much out of him as she could before he went completely off the deep end but had to so in a manner that wouldn't aggravate enough to where he could start getting violent.

Not a single thing came to mind.

"I can smell her."

Kurenai glanced to the right of her to meet Kiba's bright eyes. They had been traveling at high speed for the last few hours and were beginning to show the strain. It was a relief to know that they were finally getting close to their girl. She didn't think Shino would be to contain himself for much longer.

She hadn't seen him so tense since the Chuuin Exams, when Neji had almost killed Hinata. Every movement she saw was full of tense muscles waiting to spring into action, which alone said a lot, he was usually a long-distance fighter.

"Shino, any indication from the kikaichu?"

He barely even nodded. Shino knew his sensei was just trying to distract him from the slew of thoughts that were racing through his mind. If the situation wasn't so serious, it'd be funny how Hinata could get him so uncharacteristically anxious.

All that held him together was the small thought that they were close.

"They ripped my fucking eyes out!"

Hinata bit her lip as he swung his arms around madly, missing her by a breath. She felt the cold air on her face from the movement, and only barely managed to stop herself from acting. Too soon; she had to get answers to some vital questions, even at the cost of her safety.

"A-are you from the main branch?"

She knew it before the last word had left her mouth.

Her mistake.

The hit sent her face first into the ground, sending dirt into her open mouth as she went sprawling into the ground. Ignoring the pain in a rush of adrenaline, Hinata shoved her shoulder into the ground, rolling herself over to twist up into a kneeling position as she looked up into the angered man's face.

"What does it matter, huh! Should they be allowed to torture the low lives? Does that make it okay!"

She blanched at the scream but otherwise kept her cool as he starting lurching towards her again. It was obvious now, she was going to have to do it and protect herself until Shino showed up. She had been hoping to get some more answers out of him before breaking the rope around her wrists.

"Of course not, it is unforgivable. I wondered simply because you lack the Hyuuga's second branch curse seal."

Shifted to the side as she got to her feet, Hinata instinctively ducked as the leg swung over the area her head had just vacated.

"Of course I'm not a filthy side member!"

Blinking rapidly to clear the dust away from her eyes, Hinata took a couple steps backwards but was stopped when her back hit the tree, halting her plans.

"I d-don't understand."

He must not have been as far gone as she had thought, when he paused in mid rant and studied her. As if she was an interesting species that he wanted to dissect and study.

"Oh I think you do, I think you have something planned. As expected from such a superior clan, no?"

She frowned at him as he began to slowly and calmly walk towards her. It was as if all his fury had disappeared, what was with this guy? She wanted to activate her eyes but was hesitating to use them in front of them, in case seeing what was taken from him sent him into another fit.

Still, she really didn't want to hurt him.

A/N: wow, this chapter sucked...sorry crowd the next one will definitely be an improvement...and fluff.


	20. Chapter 20

Her nerves were completely frayed.

She was a trained killer. A trained protector. A tool sharpened with skills of various trades, all put together so she could be calm and composed in any situation that would arise.

That did not mean she didn't feel the strain of trying to dodge the verbal and physical attacks of a scorned and slightly deranged Hyuuga was very trying. Especially since she had decided to withhold using her eyes, figuring that it would send him over the top.

She wanted to wound not kill the poor man.

They were currently in a stand- off position; her standing with her back securely against the trunk of the tree while he stood several yards away. She was sure that he was staring at her but couldn't be sure with the goggles in place, and looking at the heavily shaded lens she couldn't help but feel exasperated, why did it seem that the men in her life had to wear glasses? For a girl who relied mostly on the eyes it was a reasonable irritation.

The silence stretched on as they continued to eye each other with varying degrees of interest. She was trying to decipher his next move while he was giving her a look that once again reminded her of a mad scientist. Then again, he did say he was exiled for experimenting in the first place.

"I'm beginning to see why he suggested you, you're very brave. Not once so far have you used our Hyuuga trait."

She watched as he crouched down where he was, squatting in front of her as he continued to examine her. It was unnerving.

"Who suggested me?"

Hinata felt a growing sense of unease as he remained silent, staring at her with a stillness in his entire body that had hers instinctively tensing up. He was going to attack; she knew it and yet couldn't tell where or how. She refused to give in and use the Byakugan.

It was an unreasonable thing to do but she felt that if she gave in and activated the, that it would set something off that she didn't want to deal with. Her eyes were the reason why she was taken, so that was the one thing she wouldn't give; simple, stubborn, kunoichi reasoning.

"Oh the man who help me get these."

Watching him casually begin to raise a finger up towards his face, she felt her gut tightening in reaction from some internal warning. Before she even had time to clearly think, she had rolled herself against the tree trunk effectively moving her body in time before his fist could reach her.

Taking the chance of freedom on the other side of the tree, Hinata quickly sliced through the binds that held her wrists together with her focused chakra, feeling intense relief at having the blood begin to flow properly through her fingers again.

"I hate to cut our little time short but I really do need to take those lovely eyes of yours."

So this was it, he just stated that it was time for her to lose her eyes. He wasn't going to try and take her or anything else, just her eyes. She almost felt relieved at having it now just come down to plain fighting instead of the half-crazed mind battle she'd been going through. She could predict battle movements far easier then she could ever predict delusional thoughts.

Taking a long deep breath pushing away any thoughts of help showing up she stepped out behind the tree to see him standing a few feet away, hands raised and feet spread in a fashion so familiar to her that it hurt.

She couldn't hope any longer of someone coming to rescue her, it was now the time to where she would attack, defend and if needed; kill this person. She was pretty sure that she had gotten as much information as she could from him. This needed absolute concentration and thoughts of someone helping her would only make her movements weaker.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

It was a last attempt from fighting and that he wouldn't take the bait but Hinata still felt like she needed at least try. Surely he knew that they both were cutting their power by half without the use of the Byakugan. It would be like dodging kunai with your eyes closed, except she had a small advantage; being younger and possibly more up to date on the chakra points.

Then again, he was slightly unhinged, who knew how long he might have obsessed over what he lost.

He didn't answer and the moment stretched out as they eyed each other.

She didn't know why she made the first move, maybe out of impatience? Or was it somewhere in the back of her mind, she was fixing her mistakes from the fight with Neji, someone who had equally hated the main branch?

Or was it because he showed up to see?

Arm firm and straight as always, she swiftly lashed out at his shoulder turning slightly when he easily moved and threw his own at her stomach causing her to sliding a foot backwards to avoid contact.

That was the funny thing with the Hyuuga Gentle Fist. Although it remains to be one of the most deadly fighting techniques, it was also one of the most beautiful to watch like a dance between two lovers. Their bodies seemed to become in sync, twisting and bending while stretching and reaching, a movement of limbs that could make an uneducated observer mesmerized.

He was not dazzled at all, in fact, he had to briefly close his eyes and take a deep breath to stop himself from entering the fight.

"Kiba wait for her to signal."

Shino felt her warning glance, knowing that she wouldn't openly reprimand him out loud but knew that she had meant the warning towards both of them. It wasn't out of superiority that she did this, he knew she had watched them and had just adapted a learning style for each of her students. She really was an amazing teacher.

"Damn it, I know, it just feels wrong."

Shino agreed, it had taken them far too long to reach their teammate, and now all they could do was wait until the time was right to step in and stop the fight. It was painful to watch as Hinata took a unexpected hit to the shoulder, sending her to stagger back several paces before she recovered enough to jump right back in.

She was really beautiful when she was being fierce.

"Why isn't she using her Byakugan?"

Kiba wasn't one to keep quiet he knew especially when he had to be left out of a fight. Still, he was observant and took in details that usually no one would see. Looking at her concentrated face now, he saw that he had been too busy watching their movements to take in the lack of the bloodline limit.

"Didn't you say he wanted her eyes? She is probably holding back for some reason, he might have threatened her with something."

Hearing this, Shino took action without thinking.

A/N: (coughs) ahem, I think I know why this story has become harder to write. I'm not very good at writing action scenes (why would I put action in it then? I don't know either) so how to get out of this part of the story has become disfficult. So it the abrupt arrival of the trio seemed odd, well, it was. lol. Anyway, thank you for reading and reviews keep up my writing morale...lol


	21. Chapter 21

* * *

Hinata was feeling good, even when his open palm got past her own and landed a painful hit on her ribcage. It must have been the rush of fighting, the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she twisted and swung without using her all seeing eyes.

In a sick sense she was having fun, after all, wasn't it for these moments that she had been training for since she took her first steps?

Plus, he was watching.

Sliding her right foot back to easily dodge another palm aimed at her waist, Hinata knew she was being a bit ridiculous. Shino had seen her fight plenty of times, he had basically trained her. So why did she want him to see her fighting now?

Pride.

Even painfully timid meek looking girls had some of it and Hinata wasn't an exception.

She wanted to be able to walk up to him afterwards and be able to look at him straight, not flickering her eyes away from his with embarrassment or disappointment but with strength. As if her beating her own kidnapper was saying "_look at me, I'm strong! Pick me!"_

It was terribly selfish of her but for once she didn't mind.

She wanted to be selfish and confident. Shino woke up those things in her, not that she ever realized it until now. Hinata never really wanted much, but now she had experienced what it was, _could_ be like to like a person and having them like her back.

Instead of one-sided, invisible girl infatuation, Hinata now had more.

Almost grinning at the thought, she swiftly feinted towards the right while thrusting out her left palm sharply in attempt to catch him off guard.

Of course she didn't see his attack, her normal eyes focused on her own.

Pain sparked across her side as his now closed fist slammed into her already stinging ribcage. Automatically blocking the second counter by couching down and twirling, Hinata hissed through her teeth, unconsciously bringing a hand up to touch her left side.

A spot behind her eyes began to itch as she stood up again, attempting to stand straight and not lean over towards the left. It was as if her body was warning her to activate it now or it will get worse but Hinata ignored the irritation. That was what he wanted, he was waiting for her to get desperate and use the Byakugan and then he'd get serious.

Taking in her options that didn't include the others that stood still on the sidelines, obviously waiting until she signaled them in, she frowned. She didn't have her weapons pouch, it was on her bed back at the apartment, so using a shuriken or kunai was out until she asked for one and she wasn't going to do that.

Okay then, a good defense was a better offense right?

Taking a couple of shallow breathes; Hinata launched herself at him again.

"How much longer do we wait? She must be tired."

Kiba was alternating his weight on his feet, seeming to bounce in one spot as his canine eyes looked everywhere; the sky, the area around them, the fight, Akamaru.

"We wait till she wants help."

Shino didn't glance over to see Kurenai's face as she answered, his eyes haven't left the scene in front of them since they arrived. They were glued to the black clad figure in front of them, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind.

Had she always been that small?

If he had been from another family, raised another way, he probably would be as openly anxiously as Kiba. He was torn with the understanding that she wanted to do this alone and the thoughtless anger that was urging him to go tear each limb off the man attacker her. It was the more violent side that the Kikaichu were catering too, buzzing agitatedly in him.

Then it happened.

Hinata must have slipped because Shino's whole body tightened when her large eyes widened more in mute surprise as the man took advantage of her. It took a few seconds for his brain to understand what just happened when Hinata's body dropped to the ground. There hadn't been a dramatic roll, where she would go several feet before somehow getting up. No, she dropped like a stone after receiving the hard kick to her side and something told him that she was out. Or that's he wanted.

Without waiting, his hands were out of his pockets and straight out in front of him.

"Swarm."

Hinata heard the quiet command and didn't bother looking up, knowing that her fight was over. Instead, she kept herself to the ground, her body wanting to curl protectively around the broken ribs but her mind telling to her to try and stay straight. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes but she forced them back with anger.

This sucked.

She had wanted to do something amazing and instead she ended up getting saved. Familiar shame and failure welled up and she dug her nails into her palms in attempt to ward them off.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"Hinata?"

Suddenly a warm presence was casting a large shadow over her, darkening her closed lids. Feeling a pair of hands gently slide underneath her, she began to resist, feeling embarrassed heat flood her face.

"I c-can walk!"

Instead of being listened to though, she was swiftly picked up and held close to a broad comforting torso. Sighing heavily at the feeling of being (yet again) a burden, simply surrendered into Kiba's chest and folded her arms, not bothering to keep her eyes open.

She didn't have to watch to know that Shino and Kurenai were finishing what she couldn't.

"Don't beat yourself up, you're not use to fighting without it."

She felt his warm breath on the top of her head and sighed dejectedly. There was no point hiding it, they all knew her too well for her to be able to hide anything. Rather than answering that though, she opened her eyes to look up at him.

"I think I need to lie down."

Listening to herself speak, Hinata was surprised to hear how her breathe wheezed and gasp. How long had she been breathing like that? In fact, now that she wasn't fighting she was beginning to feel the intensity of where her ribs hurt.

"Ow."

The belated reaction caught Kiba off guard and she saw the corners of his mouth twitch as he moved away from the others and headed towards the small river.

"That's all you got? A pathetic 'ow'?"

As she set her down by the water, she couldn't help but frown unhappily at the loss of heat. Usually when Kiba hugged her or when they slept in the same tent his enormous amount of body heat overwhelmed her. She had never liked sweating while she slept but at the moment it hadn't felt bad. Was it a responde to shock maybe?

Absently watching Kiba pull out a cloth and soak it in the stream, Hinata watched the serious expression on his face. It wasn't a bad face or body. Kiba had often reminded her of a child, every emotion would be exposed; happiness, anger, wonder, shyness, sadness. He didn't bother hiding anything and she loved him for that.

But that was also why she probably never tried to see him in any other light then that of friend and brother. His child like way reminded her too strongly of someone else who acted like a child.

Hinata was beginning to realize that she couldn't be happy with a child man.

She had too much baggage to ever make someone like Kiba or Naruto happy.

"Will you lift up your shirt?"

Blinking up into Kiba's face, Hinata felt her face go blank.

"W-w-what?"

A toothy grin broke his serious expression as he lifted up the dripping rag.

"We need to put something on those ribs aye?"

Feeling embarrassed and slightly dirty, Hinata nodded and silently lifted her black tank top high enough to expose the mottle colored skin underneath. This life they led wasn't ever pretty and her body was exhibiting that. Fresh bruises of black were overlapping the fading yellow ones over her flat stomach.

Feeling detached, she watched as Kiba shifted the material up a little higher to expose the swelling on her left side. He whistled under his breath, and Akamaru whined in answer.

"Nice job done here."

She felt his eyes on her face briefly and tried to look disinterested but flinched when he set the icy cloth on the hot tender flesh. He grinned at her reaction. It faded though as a figure loomed over her.

"How'd it go?"

Shino watched her tilt her head down, the wave of hair shielding her face from his as he spoke.

"Taken care of, Kurenai and you are going to head back with him now, Hinata and I will be coming back slower. I'm guessing she has a few broken ribs?"

His eyes lingered on her exposed stomach while Kiba answered. It was covered in bruises and dirt and he wanted nothing more than to kiss each and every one.

"Yeah, I'd say about three or four but I'm not an expert."

Nodding, he watched as Kiba reached down to pat the slender shoulder before walking past him. He didn't have to bend down to know that tears were probably sliding down her cheeks, eyes downcast and sad. He knew that she was probably chewing her full bottom lip to shreds as she tried to not make a sound.

He knew all this and yet didn't move.

* * *

A/N: First off, I know the last chapter was a wandering cliffy but it hadn't originally been that..actually for some reason when I updated, the last couple sentences were sadly chopped off.. I apologize for the confusion and will try and fix that soon.

Onto other things

College has started and thus the slow down of anything FUN... Fear not though, loyal readers, I am surprisingly working on all my stories everyday...I at least get a sentence in..lol

This story is going to start winding down soon, a couple more chapters I think is about it...I'm sad about this because part of me feels like it needs more length so I can broadan their wacky courtship but the other part really wants to get it done so I can start posting my GaaraIno and ShikaHina fics...

Anyway, Read and Enjoy!


	22. Chapter 22

...

Hinata didn't usually sigh this much but here she was, walking like an elderly person and sighing about every four steps.

It had been silent since Kiba and Kurenai, with a severely tied up attacker laid out on Akamaru's back, had left. The lack of sound was ringing in her ears and only uncertain fear had kept her from breaking it. Staring at the straight back in front of her, she silently sighed again.

Shino hadn't spoken to her in the last two days and she hadn't attempted to speak either. She simply followed his lead, not bothering to even open her mouth. He'd make camp while she wearily sat down, wincing at the pain in her chest and side. She'd watched as he got everything ready for the night and then they'd eat in silence, if she ever ate. Then she'd go to bed first, even if she wasn't tired, and he'd only enter the tent after he thought she was asleep.

It was miserable.

Hinata didn't understand, and watching him now as he simply gestured to a fallen log, she felt the first prick of irritation.

Why was _he_ giving _her _the silent treatment? Shouldn't it be the other way around? After all, he stole her fight.

The agitation faded just as quickly as it had come and she was left feeling dejected. Had he realized that she really was worthless and was now trying to put as much space between them as possible?

The thought hurt more than her body did.

As soon as he finished with the tent, she fled into its dark inside. It wasn't very sophisticated for a tent, simply a canvas covering a patch of soft ground, but she felt better once inside. She didn't have to deal with keeping her eyes from finding his face, where nothing was shown.

Slowly laying down, she sighed as the cold ground soaked through her clothes and shivered. Closing her eyes, she listened for the domestic sounds outside the tent. Unnoticed, a tear slid down her cheek and neck.

Was this how rejection felt?

She began to raise her arms to cover her eyes but sharp pain had her quickly lowering them again with a small intake of breath.

"Are you okay?"

His voice was cool and distant, reminding her of her father. Keeping her eyes closed, she turned her head away from the tent opening.

"Yes."

She didn't want him to speak. She didn't want to hear that tone again and the hurt that followed it.

Cold fingertips brushed her wet cheek.

"Why are you crying?"

Blinking rapidly, she forced herself to keep looking away from him.

"I'm not."

It was obviously a lie but she didn't care, she didn't want him to speak to her only out of guilt or sympathy or even worse, pity.

"Yes you are, tell me, comrades need to know."

That did it. Turning to face him, Hinata did something she has never done to a teammate before.

She glared.

"Comrades? Well _Comrades_ need to give each other space!"

Hearing her voice crack on the word, she closed her eyes again. She was not weak, no, no, no. She lived through her father's disappointment and mild cruelty. Didn't she live through Naruto's ignorant rejection too? Surely she can shoulder Shino's too, even if hurt her worse. Was it because it had been an open one? She didn't know anymore.

Shino stared down into the pale face. Her eyes were tightly shut, as if it would make everything disappear. Did she want him to disappear? She had never spoken to him like she had just done. It was terrifying and amazing.

"Are you..mad?"

No answer.

"Hinata?"

She kept her head away and eyes closed, knowing that her actions were childish but not willing enough to stop.

Shino watched her determined face and had the sudden to urge to grab her shoulders and shake her violently. The only thought that was holding him back was the fact that she had several crack ribs. Instead of taking the physical road, he leaned back on his legs and sighed loudly. With his head bowed he spoke quietly to the ground beneath him.

"I don't know what I did wrong but I'm sorry."

On the last part he reached out with a shaky hand to brush along her turned cheek, forcefully silencing the bug's noise. It was painful for them to be like this.

"Don't just barge in on someone's fight, n-next time I'll be r-really a-angry."

Finally she gave in, knowing that she wouldn't have been able to hold out for much longer. Did that mean she was clingy?

She'd take what she could get because she was tired of waiting. She had her limits too.

"I'll try not to."

Turning her head to look up at him, Hinata shyly smiled, reaching a hand up to give a gently tug on his outer coat.

"Thank you."

Understanding the request, Shino reached up to unzip the upper half of his coats, allowing her to see his face more clearly. Her eyes were pooling with unshed tears as she reached up again, grimacing when she did.

"Don't move so much if it hurts."

Catching her small hand in mid-reach, Shino carefully brought it back down to lay by her side, keeping his over it.

"Better?"

Hinata nodded, enjoying the feel of his hand covering hers.

A loud grumbling was heard throughout the tent, and she covered her stomach protectively, blushing to the roots of her hair as she grimaced at a surprised Shino.

"I'm..hungry."

Amazed at the volume of the noise, Shino actually chuckled in his low throaty laugh before making his way out of the tent in search of dinner.

Watching him leave Hinata sighed softly again. Why was she sure unsure about this, what, relationship? It wasn't like she had a vast knowledge of how the workings of being a couple.

The troubling thought was that she really _didn't_ know what to do in a relationship that was more than one-sided, which she knew was pretty pathetic. Did this mean they were going to date? Hinata had a hard time picturing her stoic, boyfriend? Sitting straight back in a dark movie theater.

"There wasn't much left, we should be arriving tomorrow."

Unaware of the intensity of her stare, Hinata tried to image the journey weary shinobi in casual clothes and strolling causally through a park. Drawing a blank, she bit her bottom lip in concentration.

Shino blinked at her behind his glasses, what on earth was she thinking about so hard?

Setting down her dinner, Shino sat across the cramped tent and watched with veiled concern as the injured teen slowly raised herself into a sitting position. Her hands reached out to grab the dried meant absently, her harsh stared never leaving him as she munched slowly.

It was absolutely adorable, and unnerving.

"What is it?"

Hinata didn't answer right away, instead she took her time chewing slowly before speaking.

"We're to-to-together?"

He nodded silently, restraining his satisfaction at finally being able to claim her as _his_. The kikaichu purred silently.

"So we're going to date?"

This caught him off guard for a short moment. Date? He never took that in consideration, what did couples do on 'dates'? He had to proceed cautiously.

"If you wish?"

Hinata sighed again, realizing that they were blindly going down a rather deep road. Letting the silence grow, she minutely ate away at her food, all the while thinking of things to do with her boyfriend that she could _actually_ picture them, specifically him, doing.

It was going to be a long night.

...

A/N: I had writer's block on this.. it was either this way or them getting into a callousal fight. As a result it turned out short.

Anyway, Enjoy and possibly review.


	23. Chapter 23

...

Shino covertly watched as the pale girl finally finished her meager dinner. His mind was now, thanks to her, focused on dating and what generally happens in relationships.

What was she expecting from him as a boyfriend?

Just thinking of it had him fighting the urge to smile. _His_ girlfriend, no one else's.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

Looking up at her, he saw the pretty blush grace her cheeks and wanted to groan. The tent was momentarily filled with a low humming before he got full control again.

"I already ate, why don't you lay down?"

Instead of listening to him though, she shook her head. Looking shy but determined, she gave him a wavering smile before speaking in her quiet voice.

"I'd l-l-like to talk."

He didn't know how to respond, feeling a spurt of happiness, so he just nodded lamely.

Minutes ticked by as he watched her face slowly become redder. He jumped on the first solid thought that formed in his mind.

"You should really lay down Hinata."

It sounded cold and commanding, and he saw that it had been a mistake because the girl's flush faded quickly as her pretty full lips fell into a frown. Seeing the signs of the rare stubbornness, he quickly amended.

"How about a d-deal? You lay down and I'll l-lie by you, and we can talk?"

The blush was oddly absent as she took a long moment in responding, simply staring at him with those huge luminous eyes. He felt unsure and doubt beginning to prick at him, childhood fears creeping back upon him as the silence grew.

Then she smiled.

"A-alright, I'd like that."

Shino stomach dropped out, she actually agreed on it?

He wasn't sure if she had fully understood him, he hadn't meant it in the way that they usually slept by each other during missions. He had meant it in a closer way.

Why did he even suggest such a thing? He rarely ever spoke without careful thought, but that just had blurted out. What if she didn't like the body temperature? Or what if, god help him, the kikaichu agreed with the situation and began making the loud _purring_ noise again?

Watching with uncharacteristic anxiety as she slowly lowered herself onto the cold ground, Shino tried not to let the very real panic take over.

Hinata saved him when she suddenly shivered.

"I'll get the packs and blankets."

Hinata blinked as the stoic shinobi practically fled from the tent. Confused, she waited several long minutes before seeing him entered the tent slowly, packs in hand.

"Sorry it took so long."

She didn't answer as he laid out the pack and began searching for the standardize wool blankets, just watched as his coat stretched over his back. Showing to her, the tenseness in all the muscles as he set one blanket down and turned to get the other one.

Hinata might have laughed at the young man's nervousness if she had been any of the other kunoichi', but she didn't find it funny at all. The nerves that were she could easily see weren't just from inexperience but from the lack of affectionate touch at all, and though she could easily tell that affection was limitless when his mom was concerned. Hinata was still reminded of their conversation in the tree that night.

A fear of being rejected because of his clan's ninja way.

"Shino."

Her soft voice slide over his shoulders, and he felt himself stiffen in response. It was a quiet voice, as usual, but it lacked the self-conscious tone or embarrassment. He would even dare say that it had a hint of tenderness in it.

"Yes?"

He knew he should turn around, that he was being obvious and rude, but some dark part of his subconscious had his feet rooted to the ground facing towards the bags.

"Come here please."

Feeling like a man about to face down a raging bull, Shino slowly turned to face Hinata, unaware that he had the blankets in his hands in a death hold, wrinkling the touch fabric.

"A-are you s-sure?"

She nodded, smiling at him in a way that made his toes curl.

When had their roles switched? When did he become the blushing and stammering one while she was cool and calm?

Walking over towards her didn't take nearly as long as he had hoped, and Shino soon found himself kneeling besides her stomach, trying to silently gulp. Inside, he felt the bugs scurry around in anticipation, waiting for the burst of chakra that they could happily eat.

At least they weren't humming.

Her hand touched his, and he found his covered eyes going towards her as she looked at him.

"Shino, hurry up, I'm c-cold."

Hinata really was shivering, and even though she knew that this was tough for him to commit too, she was beginning to shake so hard that her ribs were creaking in protest.

"Shi- I'm sorry, here."

Quickly covering the shivering girl with both of the blankets, Shino laid on top of the outside of them before his courage died.

"It's okay; I kinda miss A-akamaru."

He didn't take offense at this, that nin-dog would have been really useful at the moment by easily curling up around the girl so her cold body could soaked up the heat that was never ending from the Inuzuka's.

Still, Shino wasn't going to lie and say he wasn't glad they were alone.

Feeling her shaking body next to his, Shino acted instinctively by moving closer to her and taking her hand to rub.

"Tha-thank you."

He only nodded in response as he continued, but was surprised when she tilted her head onto his shouldered and sighed quietly before her breathe began to deepened and even out.

She was asleep so fast! Shino felt a moment of envy at the girl's ability to fall unconscious quickly, but shook it away as he lowered their hands until they were rested between their bodies, fingers entwined in each others.

Tilting his head carefully, he gently kissed her forehead, enjoying the scent of her hair as he whispered.

"Goodnight, Hinata."

Settling into a more comfortable position, Shino fought his own tiredness in order to take the night's watch, thoughts drifting away from the night's peaceful noises and towards the sleeping beauty whose hand fit in his perfectly.

…………………………….

...

* * *

Hinata was mortified.

Since they had returned to the village, she had been bundled up in blankets and rushed to the hospital, where she was now sitting on a clean white bed wearing an atrociously flimsy infirmary gown.

What made the situation worse, in her opinion, was the several pair of eyes that were sporadically spread throughout the room, all watching her every move.

Again she tried to hunch deeper into the poor protection of the thin blanket that was wrapped around her shoulders, gritting her teeth against the sharp pain that resulted from the movement.

Feeling unusually grumpy, Hinata caught Kiba's grinning eyes and frowned.

"Why are you here? I'm f-fine by myself."

The harsh tone pathetically lost its cut when she stuttered, leaving her in an even more petulant mood.

"Hinata, don't admonish your teammates."

Now desperately trying to make herself invisible, she lowered her head at her father's disapproving voice.

This majorly sucked.

The room grew silent again as they waited for the medic to arrive, each of them staring at her with expressions varying from amusement (Kiba) to disapproval (her father) to unreadable (this of course was Shino).

Thinking of her 'boyfriend, the word still got stuck in her throat, made her tired. Giving into the sudden change of mood, Hinata gingerly leaned back onto the pillows and closed her eyes. The sharp piercing pain in her torso really did hurt and for the next few minutes she carefully focused on breathing short, even breathes.

It was ironic how she wished for the ability to take in a deep breathes now that she couldn't. She was suddenly aware of all the restless energy that was practically bursting from her body. Her limbs made random jerking movements in an unconscious attempt to relieve it.

She flinched in pain, resulting in a sharp intake of breathe.

"Ow."

Shino uncomfortable to say the least, in the presence of the Hyuuga Lord and Hinata's father. The man had a naturally intimidating air surrounding him like a cloak, resulting in instinctive respect and just a touch of fear.

Except, his fear wasn't of the man's lethal power as a shinobi, or rather it was but it was more about how he might possibly react if he were to find out about Shino's newly intimate relationship with the man's eldest daughter.

It screamed of danger.

The monotonous silence was broken by Hinata's hiss of pain as she laid back, her body automatically curling into a defensive position while her face tightened in pain.

He felt his feet move on his own, and only belatedly realized that Kiba had saw him and quickly matched his steps as to keep Shino's reaction as unsuspicious as possible.

The dog-user really wasn't as dimwitted as people thought, he was just a brute. But a loyal brute.

Hinata forced her eyes opened despite the shot of pain, were broken ribs always like this? So focused on the inner turmoil, she didn't notice the two by her bed side until a pair of hands touch her own. It was startling, being as one was warm to the point of being hot while the other was refreshingly cool.

There was an irrationally tempting desire of wanting the rest of what was attached to the cool hand to cover her body.

"Shit Hinata! You're burning up!"

The loudness of Kiba's voice had her blinking hazily at them, when had they gotten so close? Oh yes, she realized that the two young men in front of her were the body's attached to the hands.

"Kiba, too hot, Shino nice."

The chuckle that Kiba was making was muffed when he caught the look from Shino.

"I'll go get someone."

Hiashi startled them when he spoke, all of them turning to look at him as he strode out the door, regal as a queen.

Hinata giggled at the thought, bringing the attention back on her.

"How do you feel?"

One of Shino's hand stayed covering hers while the other hesitantly reached up to brush along her cheek.

"O-o-okay."

Kiba frowned at her flushed face, unsure if it was from the fever or embarrassment. Feeling like a distinct third party he turned and headed towards the door, speaking lightly over his shoulder.

"I'll leave ya two alone, I'ma go see if I can find someone to bug."

With a short wolfish grin and a low whistle to the nin-dog, the door clicked quietly behind him.

It seemed as if their roguish teammate had taken all the noise with him, leaving a thick silence that was ringing in her ears.

"Why does it feel like our dates will mostly be in hospital rooms?"

She flushed at the soft teasing voice before turning her head to catch a smirk on his mouth. He had taken up the chair that was situated by her bed, leaving him to bend towards her and revealing the lower half of his face.

She felt like a fool.

"I'm sorry."

Shino shook his head though as he began to rub the length of her lower arm in a slow soothing manner. Hinata felt her breath hitch painfully as she struggled to remain calm, the memory of waking up so close to him that morning making it difficult.

"Don't be Hinata."

Her name on his lips sounded in a way that had her blushing to her hair roots. His movement on her arm was sending sensations through her body that were not helping with the fever.

"Y-your h-hand feels nice."

It did too, its coolness was a pleasant contradiction to her overly heated body and she impulsively grabbed it. Bringing it up to rest his palm against her cheek, Hinata couldn't help but sigh in pleasure.

"You're so hot Hinata, are you sure you're okay?"

Having closed her eyes in attempt to block any further humiliating blushes, Hinata chuckled softly at the sentence, knowing that if anyone else had said that she would have taken it differently.

"I'm fine, just t-tired."

Shino watched her eyes flicker behind closed lids, and took the opportunity to shamelessly take her appearance in. The cheek that she had rested his hand upon was soft and fiery to his palm, and he involuntarily curled his fingers to better cup her face.

"Y-you and Kiba always have to see me i-in such a bad s-state."

He watched as doubt and sadness flashed across her face. Did she really think that she wasn't attractive; even now Shino could barely keep his eyes off her.

Her hair was sprawled across the pillow in a black silky mass, her back was slightly arched from the extra support pillows and he could easily make out the softer curves that definitely made her a woman.

Swallowing hard, he reached his free hand up to rest it on the other side of her face, gently touching the slender neck.

Her eyes opened briefly to look at him before fluttering shut, and Shino felt warmth beginning to pool inside his abdomen when he caught the look that she had given him. Like a woman looking at her lover. It sent thrills down his back, sending the kikaichu into a delighted frenzy.

Standing up to lean over her, pausing a breath away from her lips.

"Hinata, I'm going to kiss you."

Her soft noise of agreement was all he needed to close the small distant between them.

The sweet kiss didn't last long before evolving into something more. Hinata almost felt dizzy as his lips moved against her, and she involuntarily gasped from the new and different heat that was spreading through her body now. She felt him hesitated before opening his own mouth to lightly run his cold tongue over her lower lip.

It was amazing how good that felt on her overheated lips, and she felt her mind wandered off into a completely immoral area as she raised her hand to grab his wrist while responding with her own shy tongue. Beginning a new kind of dance as they slowly explored each other's mouths.

Shino began to shift his hand down onto the mattress to put more weight on it, thoroughly devoid of any thought other than the rolling sensations that the woman beneath him was creating with her tongue. Her movements were becoming rougher, and he felt himself instinctively matching her insistent mouth, ignoring the buzzing vibration that filled the room.

"KIBA GET OUT OF THE WAY, I AM HERE TO CHECK ON HINATA!"

...

A/N: blah long day, long night. I hope this chapter turned out decent. I only checked it once, so if there are only mistakes, I'm sorry on behalf of my laziness and exhaustion. At least it is longer than usual right? I'm not sure how detailed or far I want to go with the phsyical part of their relationship... being as I've never written anything remotely lemony. Plus I think I might be losing confidence in my ability to keep them in character..hmmm.. I must get back in to my Zen mode.

Anyway, Read and enjoy my friends. And reviews are always welcome, in fact, they make my day.

Arc


	24. Chapter 24

At the moment Kiba felt several things; panic, amusement, and excitement. Panic at having to stall the young kunoichi medic from walking in on what he _smelt_ was a rather emotional time for his teammates. Amusement from mentally speculating on the events going on behind the closed door, and the excitement was left over from recently being walked in on during _his_ little rendezvous with a certain blonde.

"Sakura I just think we should go find Lord Hiashi first before you exam his daughter."

The tall teen could feel the threatening waves from the pink haired woman as her jade eyes flashed dangerous at him blocking her way.

"Isn't he already in there with her?"

He blinked in a moment of confusion before it dawned on him that Sakura wasn't as familiar with Shino's chakra signature then he was.

"No, he left to go look for a medic who wasn't busy, Shino's in there."

Seeing her relax her dangerously clenched fist, Kiba took a gamble by relaxing himself. Her eyes had left his face and were now thoughtfully on the door behind him.

"Aburame?"

He nodded his shaggy head slowly, not liking the speculative gleam that had entered her eyes when he answered. Especially with the tall fear imposing man walking towards them from behind her.

"Are they togeth-"

Kiba frantically cut her off.

"Lord Hiashi! I brought Sakura here for you, or did you find someone else that you would prefer?"

Seeing the pretty face cloud over from his interruption and as the Hyuuga lord looked at him with a slight suspicious look, Kiba felt his heart beginning to beat faster as doom loomed over him. Akamaru leaned against his leg and uttered a soft whine.

He couldn't have agreed more.

…………...

The obvious attention getting shout had Shino breaking the kiss. When had it gotten so heavy? Hinata's small hands were clutching his upper arms in a painful grip, while his own had slowly slipped down until it lightly rested on her delicate collarbone. His kikaichu were matching the her wildly pumping heartbeat with one of their own.

Her eyes were slits of molten lavender as she looked up at him, and he almost threw caution to the wind as he took in the parted lips; tinted red and puffy from his own.

Hearing another shout though and he watched as Hinata's silky eyes quickly lost their unfocused glaze. He leaned back until he was sitting on the chair again, giving them much needed space.

Bringing up his hand to adjust his glasses and fixing his crumpled collar, Shino internally (and some physically) began to collect himself before the people from outside came in. It proved difficult, seeing the timid look of wonderment on Hinata's face as a shaky hand went up to her flushed face. This was distracting, as it made him want to lean forward and repeat what they had just stopped doing.

Calm, calm, calm. This should _not_ be hard for an Aburame!

"Hey guys! Hinata, you feeling any better? How 'bout that fever?"

Hinata watched as Shino imperceptibly straighten in the chair, as a hassled looking Kiba and Akamaru rushed towards her side of the bed. She felt her eyes widened as the young man slid to a stop next to her bed, not even reprimanding the large white dog when he put up his front paws on the bed.

"I'm f-f-fine Kiba."

Feeling overwhelmed from the double amount of heat coming from the two, she shrunk back into the bed in an instinctive attempt to escape. Wincing at her ribs.

The brown eyed duo widened in concern and Kiba leaned over her.

"Hinata, seriously, are you okay? I brought Sakura."

Hinata was beginning to feel dizzy from all that was happening. The inner heat that Shino's abnormally cool skin had relieved (and then later heated up more), was beginning to take over again, and she shivered in contradiction.

"Kiba."

The single word had brought the overpowering teammate to heel. Automatically taking two steps back, Kiba met the shaded eyes of his teammate with an apologetic smile before realizing that everybody were in the room.

Turning around, Kiba caught the contemplative and knowing smile on Sakura's face while Lord Hiashi's expression was blank.

"S-sakura, I'm s-sorry to be a bother."

The pink haired girl smiled happily as she approached the bed, brusquely shoving the tall shaggy teen aside and fixing a glare on the nin-dog until he slid off the bed.

"Hinata you're never a bother, now _boys_ if you would _please_ leave the room."

She turned a grim eye on all the males in the room, not showing any deference between the adult and teens.

Kiba gladly moved to the door with a just as eager Akamaru, but Lord Hiashi and Shino remained where they were.

Sakura sighed before turning back to a surprisingly amused Hinata.

"Hinata please remove your shirt."

With as much dignity that he had, Lord Hiashi silently turned and left the room after Kiba.

A smile made its way to her face as she turned to raise a brow at the remaining male, speculations running through her mind as she watched the next by-play.

"Shino."

Hinata knew he was looking at her despite the sunglasses when she spoke, and gave him a brief reassuring smile.

Sakura's other eyebrow rose as the man silently rose and leaned over the bed to place a hand on the girl's shoulder before turning away and walking past her towards the door.

It closed with a soft click.

"I d-don't think m-my ribs are that bad."

Hinata watched as the fellow kunoichi walked over to place a cool hand on her forehead. That hand that was deadly on the battlefield was now gently brushing hair out of her face as she took in the high temperature.

"Just relax and let me check, I won't need to take your shirt off, just roll it up to show the ribs."

She met the tall strawberry colored woman's grin and felt her own responding.

Sakura was a 'tough bitch' as Tenten once said and Hinata respected that. Team Seven's only girl had been dragged through some serious stuff and had emerged looking stronger, if a little fragile, and more determined to show her worth than ever.

Any Kunoichi could appreciate and understand, they all wanted the same thing in the end; to be of use, to show their worth.

Hers was currently being shown , as she looked down, in an array of multicolored bruising all down her left side. She frowned unhappily as a chakra infused hand carefully prodded along the damage.

"Lovely artistry Hinata."

She caught a playful grin before it disappeared behind a wave of pink. It would have been embarrassing to have some strange medic look at her.

"Thank you for looking at me Sakura."

This time the smile she received was a genuine one, and she looked in awe at the way the young woman's face had softened beautifully.

It was quickly replaced by a business expression that had Hinata wanting to sink into the bed.

"From what I could derive, a minor infection along with three not-so-clean breaks." Sakura leaned back to roll her shoulders and crack knuckles in what Hinata thought was a very non-comforting manner.

"I'm going to have to heal the breaks first or else risk having a second infection, then I'll try and get the infection too, alright? You must hold very, very still while I'm doing this."

She watched as the girl paused while taking in the rabbit being chased by a fox look and abruptly went to the door. Hinata watched in surprised as Sakura yanked over the door to see two males and dog on the other side.

"Lord Hyuuga went home? No matter, I need one of you two to help but I'm guessing you're all coming in." They were already filing back in, ignoring the brief look of promised pain on the kunoichi's face.

Feeling like a experiment prisoner, Hinata fixed a nondescript expression on her face as the other girl bustled back to her side. Bringing in another only meant one thing, it was going to hurt; a lot.

"I need one of you to help hold her down while I fuse the bones together, if she jerks once I might accidently sent a fragment into her lungs and that would be bad news."

The two young men exchanged a look before Kiba muttered a command to Akamaru and positioned himself at her feet. Shino quietly made his way toward the other side of the bed to pause across from Sakura.

Hinata didn't have to be a dog to smell Kiba's sweat of anxiety or hear the extra 'zzz' of Shino's bugs.

Anxiety never, ever helped an injured person from her experience; the person always began to think the worse and panic. Even if she had heard the logical reasoning.

Shino watched as Hinata's eyes widened in fearful panic, her lips tightening in either fear or determination as he stopped by her side.

He fought the impulse to reach out and take her head in his hands, making her look and focus only on him and not on what was about to happen.

"Hinata?"

Sakura's voice was completely different; a gentle, soothing voice that one would use on a fretful baby or dying person. It irritated Shino as he watched Hinata's heartbeat pick up a even faster pace at the sound. It was a warning and her instinct did not like it obviously.

Reaching out with full disregard to the others in the room, Shino roughly grabbed Hinata's face and turned it towards his face, while letting his sunglasses slip down.

"Hinata, relax."

Maybe that was why impulses should be followed occasionally; after all they are your bodies first instinct towards something. Or someone.

Hinata felt Shino's cold hands on her face, heard his whispered command, and knew she was hopeless. Her body relaxed into putty as she looked into his dark eyes. They were always so dark, like the night's sky, but in certain lights she could see the shade was really a blue; a blue so dark that it was almost black.

Perhaps like the abyss in the ocean. Never-ending, intense, arouse new feelings blue.

The pain in her side shattered the distraction, and she watched as those eyes tightened around the corners when her own filled with tears.

"Ow."

Shino felt his gut twisted unpleasantly when Hinata's small whimper brushed his face. Her beautiful shimmery eyes were now gleaming with a different reason as an unbidden tear slid down her cheek, disappearing in her hair.

He didn't dare look away.

"Almost done with one, Hinata keep your breathing even and shallow, but not too shallow."

He felt the kikaichu respond to the agitation, running around under his skin as he tried to stay calm. It was torture; watching Hinata tightened her full lips into a thin line of determination as tears continued to silently roll down the side of her face. It was terrible but he felt incredible pride at his girl.

Leaning forward until his mouth was touching her ear, Shino began to whisper.

His breathe caressed her skin as he spoke to her and despite the pain that was currently burning her insides, she felt her body react to his deep raspy voice and the way his curly hair was brushing against her cheek.

Naruto never made her think the things she was thinking now.

Finally, embarrassed at her thoughts (not at the thoughts themselves, but more of the fact that she was thinking about them while in extreme amounts of pain) Hinata focused on what his delicious voice was saying.

"Hinata… even now as your crying, … trying to be brave…. want to kiss you, …hard. …never stopping...so happy…I hate this….'atching you hurt…"

Feeling her eyes widened at the words and what she heard behind them, Hinata suddenly had to fight the constriction in her chest and wildly racing organ in the middle of it.

Her even breathing had disappeared, and she found herself losing all face in the excruciating pain that was burning and stabbing. All rational thought was gone as she fought strong hands to curl into herself protectively, wanting to shield her abused body from the unknown enemy.

"Shino get away from her!"

Kiba watched in amazement as Sakura, the Fifth's apprentice, grabbed his teammate and friend, and shoved him away from his other teammate. Hearing a worried whine from his feet as he watched the Aburame actually _stumble_, Glanced down at his canine friend to mutter.

"I don't know, but seeing that was really creepy."

Looking back up, he saw Sakura trying to keep Hinata was violently rolling, and reinforced his grip on her knees, keeping her legs locked in place as Shino quickly recovered and hurried back over to help hold her torso down. The glasses were gone, and the raw emotion in the black pupiless eyes had Kiba sucking in a deep breath.

Boy, the shit was about to hit the fan.

...

A/N: I Love Kiba! And Akamaru! )

Read, Enjoy, Review... I'm not pushy but I'd _really_ like over 200 reviews.. D not demanding though! Hearing how people like or think of my story helps me as a writer, and my confidence ;)


	25. Chapter 25

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Shibi was collected man, as were most hive infested Aburame. From the day the two different species were introduced, both had begun the grueling training in controlling every single emotion that the human body could ever possess.

This was a matter of life and death.

The entwining of the two was a delicate balance that needed to be maintained at all times, and thus why so few became bug using ninja. If the body was consumed with an overpowering feeling like rage, the results could be devastating towards anyone around the person and almost always fatal to the person themselves.

He knew his son was well aware of the consequences but still, he was a young man and those were _always_ over the brim with passionate emotions.

This was why he was brooding in the kitchen, blindly staring out the window that overlooked the abundant garden the main house kept. The fluttering wisps of wildly curling hair and a small form could be occasionally seen as his wife puttered around outside.

Seeing her paused in the middle to rub a spot in her lower back, he found his thoughts flowing away from his son and towards the woman in front of him.

She was the cause of the one time he lost control, and it had nearly cost them both their lives.

An unstable Aburame was a dangerous one. He just had to look at his brother to understand that statement.

"Are you going to stand there gaping all day or come rub my feet?"

Blinking at being startled, he looked down to see his adorable wife smirking up at his face at having caught him off guard.

How she never became a kunoichi was a mystery to him.

Letting her dragged him outside to a comfy looking swing under a tree, he obligingly scoop the petite feet up into his lap and began the rubbing routine.

"You know, you aren't going to live very long if you worry too much about him."

He didn't glance up as she spoke, this was their little connection; he brooded in secrecy and she called him out about it. It was freakish how his little brown haired butterfly could read him, a known mystery man, as if he were screaming his thoughts out loud.

"She isn't weak, if he ever loses control I'm dead set in thinking she can bring him back. That is, unless she runs off to another man in jealous anger herself."

He rewarded her teasing with a gentle squeeze on the foot he was currently working on. Despite her joking, that scenario was very real for the two of them; it was how he almost killed her on accident.

Moments passed as he worked until a gentle, small hand touched his cheek. Scraping the stubble that had began growing from his last couple days off.

"Shibi, he's grown up. Be a man beside him instead of in front of him aye?"

Looking up at her sweet starry eyes, he saw the same pained expression on her face that he knew was on his. This was their first born, and although they were being strong, it was still hard to let go of the child he wasn't anymore.

After a mutual passing of grief and joy at their joint accomplishment, the woman leaned back with a content sigh before smiling widely up at branches overhead.

"Besides, I have this feeling you'll want to prepare yourself for the next one that's coming, because with the way you are so overbearingly protective with a son, there's no way you will survive!"

He groaned loudly as his wife began to throw out insanely outrageous names for their unborn child.

**.........................................**

Akamaru whine loudly in tune with Hinata's, affectively covering up the girl's pained sounds as Sakura worked on the infection. It had been a very _long_ two hours and the pink haired woman was about done in with chakra.

And from the tension in general.

Kiba could only agree, his face tightened in a expression of upset determination as he firmly kept Hinata's legs flat against the bed as she worked. It must have been hard for him to use the amount of force he was using to keep her still, and the sweat dripping down his neck was testimony of it.

Although, it wasn't as stressful as the two above her.

Hinata wasn't one to use swearwords, thinking that they generally sounded distasteful and out of place, but that inhibition was gone now as she muttered the least offensive one she could think of over and over again as she dug her fingers into the chilly and slightly vibrating flesh of two strong arms.

They were wrapped securely around her biceps, keeping her upper body from jolting at the pain, but that left her clutching the place right below the elbow. There were going to be bloody marks, and she might have felt guilty if she had enough concentration for that.

It was taking all she had not to sixty-palm everyone in the tiny room, and sprint to freedom.

"Shit, sh-shit, shit.."

So instead of pulverizing everyone in reach, Hinata had her sweaty forehead smashed against Shino's cool one as she muttered incoherently through a haze of pain.

To his credit, Shino had remained silent after his little confessions to Hinata. After Sakura had shoved him away, he quickly gained control of his senses and more importantly his emotions before returning to the bed to help.

Now he quietly took the pain that was flaring by his elbows from the surprising (and not so surprising) death grip. He was hunched over the bed with an ache beginning in his middle back from the position.

Early had almost been disastrous.

In his mind, Shino could still see Kiba's look of surprise when the sensitive shinobi sensed a lapse in his control. Even if the two girls didn't feel it, and he suspected that was only because both were focused on what they were doing themselves, he knew his friend was still watching him with careful eyes.

It was the whimper Hinata had unknowingly let slip, when her body had convulsed with the sudden survival instinct to curl and protect. The affect was doubled by their recent kiss. All that had reached something deep inside that he didn't think existed anymore, and he reacted without thinking.

There hadn't been any instant plan or anything; he just knew that he wanted to hurt something; bad. He wanted to find the cause of her pain and let the kikaichu feed off of his body slowly, while he reveled in the sounds of agony.

Shino had never felt this way before, sure he had gotten miffed a few times about trivial things that didn't really matter, but never had he wanted to take someone's life so badly as he did Hinata's attacker.

It both disgusted and scared him.

He knew without even testing it that he was capable of doing just what he wanted, it wasn't a feeling of confidence or arrogance that joined that knowledge. It was like a predator knowing without thought that it could easily overcome its prey.

"Shino."

Kiba knew that his quiet warning had reached his teammate, watching as he straightened up but relaxed enough to show that he wasn't hostile anymore. He had only ever seen Shino lose his control once, and it hadn't even been a complete lost, only a tiny slip in the impeccable hold. Still it had been scary enough to remember.

"Alright, I'm done. Hinata, not that I need to tell you, but stay here for the night and rest."

He watched as Sakura sagged in her spot, clearly drained of chakra, but with a smile on her face nonetheless, and wondered randomly if this was what it felt like to be in a delivery room.

If it was, he'd pass on that, thank you very much.

"Th-th-thank you S-s-sakura."

The girl smile tiredly in return.

"Those are going to become bruises of Hell and soreness to match, so take it very easy."

Turning away from the retreating pink form, he watched as Hinata shakily brought her hands up to clutch the blanket that Sakura had covered her with around her chin. He kept his face pleasant, even as he took in the gray hue to her pale and sweaty face. Her eyes seemed huge on her face before she closed them.

His eyes caught Shino moving back, as if putting physical space between them would help.

Kiba doubted that. It was funny how the most emotionally stunted guy he knew turned out to be the most possessive.

"Hinata, only you would thank someone after they successfully tortured you for the last few hours."

He grinned toothily at her when she opened an eye to look at him before smiling herself.

"Engraved o-obedience."

Hinata relaxed as Kiba laughed loudly at that, enjoying the sight of his grinning face before closing her eyes again. She was tired, and from good reason too. It really had seemed like torture, and she was sure it had only hurt more because of the infection.

Sensing movement from her right side, Hinata frowned as she tried to remember what had all been said and done between her and Shino. Her memory wasn't too good about what happened, having mostly been focused on the pain.

"Hinata?"

Opening her eyes, Hinata caught Kiba sharing a look with Shino before speaking.

"Sorry, I'm just really tired."

Kiba looked at her sympathetically before leaning over placing a quick kiss on her forehead, leaning back to grin daringly at Shino.

"I'ma go okay? Rest up and don't be stubborn about anything, I'll be back tomorrow."

She nodded silently as he whistled to Akamaru, who brought his large wet nose up to poke her affectionately before heading after his partner.

The tall canine shinobi paused at the door, smirking at them over his shoulder.

"Now, you two have to behave now! I won't be here to save you!"

He fled from the kikaichu's audible humming.

Hinata smiled as she closed her eyes. It was much better now that it was quiet, minus the oddly comforting sound of the bugs, and the ache in her body lessened as the stress level dropped.

The chair scraped across the floor as it was being pulled towards the bed. She blindly reached out a hand, careful not to extend too far, and was content when a larger one caught it.

"Are you going to stay?"

She was almost success at keeping the longing out of her voice, but asking it with her eyes closed helped. A lot.

Cool lips shyly brushed her palm and wrist as she felt a hand touch her hair.

"Do you want me to?"

Hinata held back the smile when she caught the poorly veiled hesitation in his response, and pulled the hand towards her until she could return the kiss on the top of his hand.

"Yes, please."

The shyness and hesitancy brought more comfort to her than the kisses, or casual touches that he seemed to be trying to get both of them use too. Or perhaps he was really as affectionate as his mother and just didn't have the social skills that are necessary to show it.

Whatever it was, she was possessively grateful that she was the only one on the receiving end.

.......................................

A/N: Alright, Thoughts?


	26. Chapter 26

.....................................

Shino watched as Hinata sighed in content as she settled back into the scratchy pillow, keeping her hand loosely entwined with his. Her skin was warm and comforting in his cooler palm.

"Shino?"

Her voice was soft with exhaustion, bringing his eyes from their clasp to her eyes.

"You should be sleeping."

She smiled at that, and he felt himself relaxing at it. When did she get such a tight hold on him? It's as if he was hot hired to her moods, if she was happy he was, if she was sad he was angry. It wasn't a good thing for him to lose this control and it was beginning to worry him.

"I k-know I just w-wanted to say I'm s-s-so happy."

It was rare but Shino felt himself getting physically hot as she opened her eyes to look at him. How can such an innocently looking smile seem so womanly? He felt like a pervert when his eyes fell towards her lips but fortunately her eyes had closed again.

He silently cleared his throat.

"You don't wish I was..someone else?"

Her hand tightened around his painfully, but otherwise her expression didn't change and he felt a moment of insecurity.

Of course she did, why did he ask such a stupid question. He closed his eyes as he wanted to bite his lip in regret.

"Kiss me."

Hinata opened her eyes, watching expressions of pain? Sadness? Run across his partially uncovered face. Why hadn't she ever noticed before? Shino had always kept such tight control of himself, how was she suppose to know of all these emotions that he had? Of course, she knew he must _feel_ but really, as she watched him now Hinata wanted to look away from such rawness.

But she didn't, she kept her eyes firmly trained on his eyes, tightly shut as they were and felt affection overflow.

"Kiss me."

She had spoken without thought, but it had felt right. He looked surprised and unsure, the two expressions making her heart squeeze with compassion and love. Wha- love? She pushed the thought away as he leaned closer before hesitating.

"Hinata?"

Her side ached, and lifting her arm sent her heart hammering with the action but the dark haired beauty didn't stop as she reached up to gently lead his mouth to hers.

It wasn't filled with the urgent need like the earlier kiss, but she gave it a sweetness that had Shino trembling. Her lips were full and soft and he didn't know if he could handle it. He had always loved her, it was no secret to him, but he hadn't thought that it would become this overriding to his senses.

Her kiss, her roughly delicate hand on his neck by his pulse, it was weakening and he was feeling his control slipping dangerously.

He pulled back, trying to hide his shallow breathing, watching her as she kept her eyes closed and leaned back with a smile that had him wanting to lean forward again.

"No one else."

She fell asleep listening to his uneven breathing, feeling complete and sore.

……………………….

"May I leave?"

Hinata had woken up in a bad mood, not that any besides her team would notice. Shino had been gone when she woke up, and had only returned much later after Kiba and Kurenai showed up. She had tried to make eye contact but gave up when she realized that even if he did meet her eyes she wouldn't' be able to know because of his sunglasses.

Hinata did notice how he stayed far from the bed, standing by the wall.

"I think that'd be okay, but no super hard training okay?"

Sakura wrote something on a chart before, smiling at them and leaving.

Hinata sighed in relief before smiling at her team.

"I'll be out in a minute."

Kiba nodded happily before bounding out of the room while shouting loudly for Shino to follow him. After the silent young man left, Kurenai moved towards the bed and touch her shoulder before speaking.

"Do I get an explanation later?"

She didn't need to elaborate for Hinata to know what she was referring too, and turning pink she felt like hiding under the pillow.

"Yes, later."

She didn't state a specific time, hoping that the woman would forget later but after seeing the amused expression on her sensei's face her hope disappeared. Darn.

After Kurenai left, Hinata carefully slipped off the stupid gown and began to slowly pull her kunoichi outfit on. Wincing only a little when she had to raise her arms to pull her shirt over her head.

Why was he avoiding her, again?

The realization made her mood grumpier as she sat on the bed to pull on her sandals. He really did have a habit of avoiding her when he was uncertain about something, and she was beginning to get annoyed of it. Not that she didn't understand.

Shino's social life was practically zero, and it hurt to think that she hadn't tried harder earlier in their time together. He was always shoved into the background because he didn't possess the necessary outgoing personality that Naruto had or the neurotic ambition that Sasuke, Lee, and Sakura had. Neither did he have the overbearing presence of Neji or the reputation like Shikamaru. He was solely a background person, used as an extra.

Like her.

Shaking her head clear, Hinata started towards the door. No, Shino wasn't a back up shinobi like her, he was more powerful than most of the attention getters. He just preferred being in the shadows, right?

Opening the door to see them waiting a little ways down the hall, Hinata frowned as she absently waved to Kiba.

Being ignored his whole life? She understood being rejected, was that why he didn't draw attention to himself?

Feeling increasingly grouchy at her confusion, Hinata unconsciously drew her brow together in thought.

She was obviously thinking too much.

Shino was a great guy, who had a tough childhood, what shinobi didn't? He has to be in control of his hive 24/7 or else risk something dangerous (although she didn't know what) so being in crowds with high energy is probably stressful on him. Besides, he was like her in the aspect that they both preferred quiet down time. Not going out like Kiba, Ino, and all them. He liked collecting insects while she liked reading.

"What's wrong Hinata, ribs hurts?"

Blinking out of her thoughts, she looked up to see that Kiba had fallen in step with her, Akamaru happily trotting alongside as they made for the building's main exit.

"Huh? No, I was just thinking, what are we going today?"

Kurenai looked at her from over her shoulder, her and Shino were walking in front of them.

"First, getting something to eat, then light training. At least light for you."

The woman grinned in response to Hinata's uncharacteristic frown. Kiba caught on, and carefully slung an arm over her shoulder, making sure that she wasn't being weighed down.

She unconsciously moved into his warmth, before giving in with poor grace.

"Fine."

Kiba's laughter echoed in her ear, as she tried unsuccessfully not to stare at Shino's back.

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A/N: Obviously it's short. Next will be much longer (hopefull) and much more interesting (promise)

Read, Enjoy, Review?


	27. Chapter 27

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Kiba was a good man. He was funny, sensitive, loyal, strong, and he understood his friends to an uncanny level. Of course, that didn't mean he always acted like it or that she always appreciated it. The tall muscular shinobi was the main reason why Hinata loved animals.

But, at the moment, he was on a downhill trend.

They had eaten quickly, Hinata sitting demurely in the center with Kurenai and Kiba on either side of her while Shino sat by Kiba. The whole meal had left her in an internally brooding mood, as she forced her eyes from seeking out covered ones.

Now they were standing in their normal forestry area of training, Kurenai watching and critizing from the sidelines as the three of them practice various things. Kiba had to feel extra protective today, because at the first hitch in her breathing he had stopped the spar, leaping back several feet.

"You should rest now Hinata, your ribs are sore."

Akamaru had stayed by her side, in loving support, and she absently stroked his big furry head. Trying to play off the wheezing in her chest as she answered.

"No, I'm okay."

Kiba just stared at her, and Hinata flushed with indignation. When she spoke again her voice was low with strain and threats that usually never accompanied the sweet disposition.

"You wanna have a dominance contest now?"

His straight face and unwavering brown eyes was all she needed for an answer, stilling her entire being, she firmed into an unblinking statue of determination. Close to seething inside at idiotic boys and their pissing contests.

It was a long ten minutes.

"Kiba, you should know by now that you will lose to a Konoha kunoichi. Tsume and Ino should have proved that to you."

Hinata didn't move a muscle as Kurenai spoke. Kida did though, slowly blinking his eyes as a sheepish expression appeared. She didn't relax, instilling in her mind that she wasn't backing down one inch, to neither dog or bug boy. The latter was standing behind Kiba a ways.

She tightened her mouth into a firmer line.

"I'm perfectly capable of training some more! In I'm p-probably m-more than either of you."

It was an impulsive shout, and drained halfway out of her mouth, but Hinata was tired, irritated at the male species, and sore. She did not want coddling from anyone anymore, and she did not appreciate being ignored!

Two pairs of eyebrows rose at that.

"Oh? You think you can take me on Hinata?"

Kiba looked surprised at Kurenai's admission, but their teacher ignored him as her eyes stared even on the pale girl's. This was a different kind of contest, and no pissing was involved.

Hinata lifted her chin.

"Yes."

Pride was a wicked beast, but she wasn't going to stepped down, she was just…aggravated, and if she could have picked an opponent it would have been the shady man behind the other two. If she had been in a healthier state of mind, the thought might have shocked her. Hinata wasn't prone to targeted violence.

Kurenai slid in front of her, standing casually with one hand resting prettily on a well rounded hip.

"Alright."

Snapping her eyes back from Shino's face, Hinata nodded briskly before forcing her body to relax. She did have something planned, and was proud of herself. Of course a Hyuuga took the time in the hospital to think of ways improving their selves. When they weren't being healed or kissed.

Seeing the woman's posture, Hinata knew that she was going to attack physically and not with genjutsu. This wasn't a test of jutsu skill but of her current strength physically.

She would not disappoint.

Instead of placing her hands in front of her as she normally would, Hinata kept them low at her sides. This drew curious glances from Kiba but she was too busy noting the minute movements of her sensei.

"Byakugan!"

The world around her became sharper and lighter. The body that was suddenly moving towards her with impressive speed was made almost see through, and Hinata easily saw the chakra flowing.

At last minute she brought her arms up to block, bringing one foot back to stay stable, then countered with her own swing. It was blocked just as she planned. Twirling on her toes, she aimed her raised elbow for the back of the woman's neck when Kurenai disappeared.

"No Gentle Fist Hinata? Odd."

Kurenai was smiling, not having sparred with her team in a while and was taking the moment to fully enjoy it.

Hinata's face was fierce as she came at her, hands low and lethal. Kurenai grinned when one shot out like a viper towards her nose, and she barely dodged by doing a simple back flip. She didn't feel the feather light touch on her shoulder.

"No I'm using it."

Confusion was seen on everyone's face as Hinata attacked again. She never attacked usually, it was always Shino or Kiba, but now she wanted to fight.

The next couple moments were intense, and soon both women were twirling and bending in movements that were becoming less graceful by the seconds. The tall dark hair woman's body was radiating with infuriated energy while the other was responding naturally with its own.

Kiba wasn't sure who to root for, but he agreed with Akamaru's soft whine as he watched Hinata twirl on one leg while bending over completely, the other leg flying towards their sensei's face.

Shino stopped by his side, silent and glum as ever. He couldn't resist nettling him.

"Hinata is pretty sexy when she's all riled up."

Akamaru lifted his lip when a humming was heard, but Kiba just mentally grinned before continuing.

"It seems like there's some pent up anger, and I'm pretty sure it's not me. So that leaves a chance for dinner with her tonight….since you are ignoring her like a dumbass."

They both knew that he has never thought of Hinata in a romantic sense, but it didn't stop Shino from swinging a fist at him.

Akamaru quickly backed out of the fist fight. This was a day of tempers to be sure.

"What the hell is your problem! You have a perfect person who wants y-"

Kiba was cut off as his jaw slammed together, barely keeping from biting his tongue off. Growling loudly, he shoved his friend back. _He_ hadn't lost his fucking mind! Not yet at least.

"Don't be such a sissy Shino, or you are going to push her away… again."

He ducked and was leaning back to swing when a small hand roughly grabbed him by the shoulder and easily threw him to the ground.

Lying face down in the leafy ground, Kiba heard a similar thud, and grinned happily until he looked up to see twin scowls on two very pretty faces.

"What the hell is wrong with this team? Now we're all over each other's throats?"

Hinata felt her face heat up when she saw the tall woman reached up a hand to stop the flow of blood from the cut on her lip. She had gotten a little too carried away. Almost as soon as it came, the anger was gone, leaving her feeling tired, sore, and small.

Abruptly sitting down on the ground, Hinata simply deflated as Kurenai continued her lecture.

"Hinata! I'm glad you grew more bold, but don't ever use such dangerous methods in a simple spar! You could have killed me! And you two! What the hell is wrong with you Shino? I don't care who you're with or whatever, but don't bring your sulking pride to training! Kiba!"

Hinata looked up at the woman's pause to see a forming smile on her face.

"For once you aren't the one who got in trouble, how does it feel?"

Turning her head, Hinata watched as Kiba laid full out on the ground with the large shaggy dog stretching out alongside him. They looked the picture of arrogant ease.

"Wellllll, let me savor it for a while. So this is how it feels on the side of rule followers? Kinda nice."

Hinata giggled as Kurenai simply shook her head, before calling it a day. Hearing that had Kiba and dog bounding up from the ground as if they were electrucuated, they didn't even bother saying a goodbye. Just up and left her alone, as they followed the already disappeared sensei.

Leaving her and her boyfriend alone.

The sudden silence was stony and cold.

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	28. Chapter 28

Hinata felt jittery, and it was showing in the way her fingers were twitching on the ground in front of where she had been hunched over for the last fifteen minutes.

This was bad, girls generally over analyzed everything anyway and given an unlimited amount of time in the presence of the object they were analyzing was always bad news.

She knew she was being overdramatic, guys probably had their bad days too especially ones who have taken life, but Hinata wasn't in a very charitable mood and finally snapped when he stood up in what seemed as a casual way.

"Where are you g-going?"

It took her longer to get to her own feet, part in trying to not hurt herself and part in trying to hide the fact that she was hurt. She was able to cover the small pause by frowning heavily at the covered man.

"Home."

Like Hell he was, not if she had anything to do about it. Ignoring the soreness and discomfort in her side, Hinata stepped in his line of path. Placing her hands on her hips in what she hoped was an intimidating posture.

"Running away again Shino?"

They were both surprised at the strong voice Hinata spoke with, and for a moment Shino had a vision of a much more confident woman. It was appealing and scary.

Then her words registered and he frowned behind his protective coat.

"What?"

She tossed her head in a surprisingly haughty gesture before answering, and his frown deepened at the small wince that twisted her mouth before disappearing.

Hinata's momentary burst of confidence melted away under his quiet voice and the new wave of pain. Dropping her stance, she forced her hands to stay at her sides instead of coming up to fidget together.

"E-everytime you b-b-become uncomfort-fortable with u-us, you avoid me."

Damn, and she had been doing so well. Frowning at her stutter and depleted courage, Hinata abruptly sat back down on the ground. Not bothering to cover up the small hiss of pain that escaped her lips when the fall jolted her side.

Shino remained where he was, though it was a fight to stay planted to the spot when he heard her gasp of pain. He knew he had to though; Hinata was a woman of strength, even if she didn't fully know her potential. And he was not going to ruin it by treating her like a fragile flower, even if she did remind most people of frailty.

After thinking this, Shino did want to stab himself with a kunai.

"I'm not running away. I'm simply-"

Hinata cut him off before he could finish with a quick head shake. When she spoke her voice was quiet, lacking its usual timidity but having a certain resigned sadness that had Shino stepping closer.

"You are, you run because it's new and scary. I understand Shino. You can go; I won't get in your way or stop you."

Her eyes had closed, in response to what she was saying or to the physical hurt he wasn't sure, but all the same he responded by dropping down to his knees in front of her. Pausing for only a second, he reached up to slip off the dark glasses from his face before tentatively reaching out to touch her's.

When her pale glistening eyes opened and met his, Shino took a deep breath before plunging forward.

"Yes, it's scary and new but mostly it's because I need my control."

He saw the confusion in her eyes and hurried to explain, bringing up his other hand to match the one cupping her cheek.

"I'm a bug user, we need unbreakable control or else. It's always been that way, but when I'm with you, when we….I feel my emotions start to break through my control. Hinata, I can't let that happen."

She blinked at the intensity in his eyes and felt an instinctive tug of emotion in her chest. With her face cupped in his hands, the feeling was a mingling of the comfort that his touch brought but also a deeper emotion that hinted at apprehensive caused by his words.

"What…would happen?"

But Shino didn't answer; instead he dropped his hands to rest lightly on her shoulders. Despite their discussion, Hinata felt her body shiver in response to the cool touch. Instead of wanting to lean away, she leaned closer in attempt to get closer to the stoic man, even if it was only physically.

She pressed on, tired of not being told honestly, bluntly.

"Shino, please."

Hinata felt as if this was a make or break moment, as if his answer could either destroy or cement their already wildly erratic relationship. Honestly, she had thought that when it came to her finally entering into a relationship that it would have been smooth and boring. It had always been her thought that all the other girls would have the wild relationships.

She rarely seemed to be right these days.

So, when he leaned back and seemed as if he was collecting himself Hinata did not speak again. Instead she leaned back herself and stayed quiet.

And waited.

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A/N: Alrighty folks, this is definitely too short, especially after such a long wait, but I'm not giving uphahha no matter how much homework is thrown at me. X_X


	29. Chapter 29

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"I'm not quite sure what even happens; my parents aren't secretive about it but they don't welcome the topic either."

Sitting back firmer, Shino tried to organize his thoughts. This hadn't been the way he had planned for Hinata to find out, but it seemed as if their relationship (whatever that implied) was on a spiral that threatened to go out of control. He needed to fess up.

How terrifying.

Looking up to meet beautiful lavender in a patient face, Shino felt calm overcome the rare emotion of fear. This was Hinata after all, she would never intentionally hurt him, and he loved her.

The thought gave him even greater pause. Truly, he did love her, and even though he knew that it'd be a while-a **long** while- before he would muster up the strength to admit it out loud (let alone to the person in question), just knowing that he could admit it to himself seemed enough.

"Control for a shinobi is an absolute necessity in order to survive; you know this yet not at the level that some others do. Or perhaps just a different kind of control, since there must be some kind of control in how much chakra you use in order to kill or not kill."

When her expression did not alter, he fell back into a familiar territory of team leader explaining a situation.

"Aburame's, and any other insect users, need more restrained control. You know this, it is essentially the focal point of my training. If the insects or my chakra run rampant, then the one will attack the other and the results would be disastrous to whomever was around me."

Hinata nodded fiercely, her expression set in such concentration that he wouldn't have been surprised if she activated the Byakugan.

He was appalled to find himself thinking how adorable she looked. He hurried on.

"It's been getting harder to control with the closer we become….physically," he forced back the flush- duly noting that her pale cheeks remained unblemished, "It's probably because of ancient instincts that sun though our blood still: males must fully possess his chosen mate and so on. The point is.."

He stopped when a petite hand was raised in front of him.

"I understand Shino."

Hinata wasn't actually sure she completely understood it, but she was definitely sure she comprehended enough to where she didn't need any more conversation with the word "mate" in it. They weren't animals, no matter what instincts were there.

They were left in another silence. A quiet that left them hyperaware of the other's breathing, the slow even rise and fall of their chest. How her hair shined a beautiful black in the sun that Shino swore there was a purple glint to the reflection; how lovely the exposed skin of her neck look against the dark strands of hair. He wanted to touch her; tenderly, lovingly, intimately.

Shino clenched his fists.

Hinata felt her heart rate begin to beat faster in response to something only her body's chemistry heard.

"I don't want to hurt you."

It was a harsh raspy, pain filled voice that sent a mixture of apprehension at the possibility of danger, and the sexual response to his strong desire to protect her that had Hinata's stomach tightening.

Cautiously aware of the ache in her side, Hinata slowly leaned forward until she was only a few inches away, her eyes close enough to see the different shades of blues and grays in his eyes.

"I trust you, please…"

Shino's confusion over her plead rapidly disappeared when her hands slowly moved up to brush along the small exposed parts of his face. Her fingertips seemed connected to his nerves, every light brush sent what seemed like thousands of odd tingling messages to different parts of his body.

Somehow keeping his eyes open, he watched as hers moved closer until her warm forehead touched his. It wasn't a leaning touch that needed support, but a touch as light as the tips of her fingers were, just enough to make him aware but not burdened.

It was erotic and heart wrenching in ways that he had never known. Yet he understood the plea, and despite the risks he saw in it Shino could not say no.

"I won't run anymore, but…but I can't promise this won't end badly."

Closing his eyes against the images of him accidently hurting Hinata, focusing on slowing the pounding pulse in his ears, Shino missed the small sound of his jacket zipper being pulled down an inch or two.

He didn't miss the gentle kiss she planted on his lips a few seconds later.

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A/N: ah free time *sobs* I use to have so much of you! This chapter is was suppose to be the end but it kinda looks transition-ish, yet I'm not sure if I'm going to continue it or not. I have a few other ideas I could add but I'm not sure yet... I just.. *insert girl moment* love this pairing and there are so few decent fics of them out there!

Perhaps I shall write a Part Two of this up? hmm Thoughts? Comments?

As Always Thanks =)


	30. Chapter 30

Hinata slowly walked through the town in a daze. The last few moments of Shino and her in the forest replaying in her mind.

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_The kiss had started off as a simple show of faith. Hinata had only wanted to comfort him f the fear he obviously had. A small seconds of their lips touching. That's all she had been going for, an innocent kiss with pure intentions._

_Then he shifted._

_The moment was small; Shino had merely moved his body towards her more, as if he had become stiff in the current position._

_Yet, to Hinata it acted almost like match- sending several fires into ignition. Her skin became flushed as her own body unconsciously responded by leaning into the kiss; pressing their lips together more firmly._

_Still, she was surprised when Shino brought his hands up to cup her face, unexpectedly drawing her into a deeper kiss. Caught off guard by the barely concealed intensity Hinata gasped._

_She had never felt so…hot before. It was as if she was going to incinerate if she didn't get to whatever it was her body was craving. All modest inhibitions seemed to disappear along with her body's aches in the volume of greedy need. Unashamedly she pressed herself against his cold jacket, easily sliding onto her knees._

_She wanted more; god Hinata had never wanted him more than ever. Was this normal? Had these emotions always been residing within her? These weren't the girlish feelings of wanting to help a friend in need, to comfort a fellow comrade. _

_No, what she was feeling was something that only came close to how she felt towards Naruto. The bone aching desire to love, to show them that no, they are not alone. And it wasn't just out of pity or condescension. Hinata truly felt that these people did not deserve rejection; that they more than anyone else deserved respect. The trials they were put through were beyond normal, and she responded with an overwhelming power of acceptance and love._

_Naruto and Shino were different, as were her reactions to them. Naruto was like her sun, the awe creating blaze of light that had shined on her through the hardships, yet gently bathed her in moonlight. He was almost godlike in her admiration: an enigma that must be seen from a distance. To be yearned for from afar._

_Shino though, he was different. _

_Unaware to the Hyuuga, Shino was torn between two emotions. His body was entirely over eager to meet and go beyond what Hinata was probably unwittingly giving him. His body hummed with anticipation and energy eager bugs. While his mind was being more prudish; warning him to wait until she is well and more importantly, until he was able to control the threatening storm._

_With her warm responsive body pressing against his; molding her firm but surprisingly feminine curves against him, it was much harder to have any kind of control. The fact that she was here, right now, in his arms was more than Shino had ever dreamed of. It was enough to make him tremble._

_It was hard not to shut his mind off as delicately lethal hands slid themselves up his jacket to wrap tightly around his neck. Without thinking he moved his hands down to her waist- carefully avoiding her sides. _

_He felt her sigh against his lips and stilled._

_Hinata had felt the body against hers go rigid, and stiffened herself. After few minutes of working on the control of her breathing Hinata quietly leaned back, gently releasing the tense hands on her hips._

_She took a shallow breathe and looked up._

_His eyes were open but oddly blank- showing no recognition of her moving away. Hinata had to glance down at the clenched hands in his lap in order to see him respond at all. Scooting back even more, Hinata's mind flashed to his warning from earlier._

"_Shino?"_

_Watching the chest rise and fall in deceptively calm breathes, she waited. _

"_Please leave Hinata; I will speak to you later."_

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The intense expression on his face with the blank eyes still hovering in her mind, Hinata slowly made her way through the town, unsure where she wanted to go. Did he need help? Had she messed something up? It had been stupid to attack him like that after he had just told her he could hurt her.

The more she worried about him, the more Hinata felt the need to learn more about the mystery behind the Aburame clan.

Well, everyone had told her to take it easy with the training, and admittedly she was still pretty sore. Talking shouldn't cause any physical pain. Plus, no one had told her not to.

"_I don't want to hurt you."_

With that in her mind, Hinata was filled with renewed determination. Spilling on the spot and ignoring the twinge in her sides, she moved purposefully in the direction of the isolated Aburame house.

She was going to get some answers.

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A/N: Wouldn't it be cool if there was more Shino/Hinata fan art? I see all these amazing ones of Shikamaru/Temari and stuff but so so so SO few of Shino and Hinata... it's sad... lol

Anyway, to be quite honest, I have no idea how to end this fic. lol


	31. Chapter 31

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The sounds in the house were quiet, allowing on the delicate clink of china as the two women slowly drank their tea. The atmosphere was a mixture of patience and desperate auras.

Hinata snuck another glance at the Aburame's wife, still in mild disbelief that she actually kept the nerve to come all the way over to the house not to mention actually knock on the door. Now that it was just the two of them, she could feel the calm that radiated from the small woman. Almost as if she only acted wild and childish just to prick a rise out of her son and husband.

Hinata understood the urge.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself in order to say what she wanted.

"Hinata, I'm going to be very blunt."

Her nerves skyrocketed as the beautiful blue eyes squarely met hers. Not trusting her voice she remained silent; the only indication of her feelings was the teacup being set down with a slight tremble.

C'mon, be a woman! Now was not the time to show weakness. Unblinking, Hinata frowned as she forced herself not to fidget.

Suddenly Misao laughed; a sound that was both unladylike and feminine at the same time.

"Stop acting as if I'm going to lean over and lop her head off. I can guess you're here to discuss my darling hive of a son."

Encouraged by the sassy smile the woman gave her, Hinata nodded before shyly responding.

"Yes, I want to know about the control?"

She watched as the small woman sat back in her chair with an informal slouch. A hand that was impossibly small lazily came up to rest on the small bump of her lower abdomen.

"It's only a flutter right now, but I have no doubt that this child will be another bug user."

The expression on her face was somber, if a little sad. Hinata watched in confusion at the emotions that played across Shino's mom's face.

"Is that not good?"

Misao looked up at the dark haired girl, not flinching once at the unusual pupiless eyes, and liked what she saw there.. Her own brightened as a smile curled her lips up into a smile as she responded.

"I don't know, you tell me. Did Shino have a fulfilling childhood? Full of friends and laughter?"

Misao watched as the young woman sat back in the chair. The lavender eyes closed in thought. Shin' mom watched in content as a openly mournful expression settled on the pale face.

"No, he didn't. Shino was like Naruto in that way at least. Isolated, ignored, so so lonely. I can't really remember him being involved in any games at all. I was just as blind as everyone else. Maybe my focus was on the wrong person? Or perhaps I should have noticed both."

The fists in her lap clenched as she picture two younger versions of Naruto and Shino. How they were different kinds of outcast, but outcasts nonetheless. Why were children so ignored? The pain it brought to her was like something slowly sinking their nails into her heart.

"Aburame insects are violent by nature, yet they are also loyal. Even if they Even if they weren't, the training itself is intense. Control the key to a happy relationship between the two. If the host loses that precious control then the insects react out of self preservation and loyalty. They realize that if their host is destroyed then in theory, they too are destroyed."

Hinata felt herself nodding in comprehension as she let the puzzle pieces fall into place. It explained several instances throughout their team's training.

"When Shibi and I were fist…courting, we had a fight. It was stupid and petty but enough to where I refused to talk to him."

She watched as a shaowed figured appeared behind the talking woman – careful not to let her eyes linger too long in case it disrupted the flow.

"It was our fist major fight, and I was unsure of our future. My friend asked me out on a- what shall I call it it- a sympathy date. I said yes without even thinking, teenagers that are pissed tend to do that. I figured I needed to clear my head of that arrogant fool."

Misao smiled knowingly, but Hinata missed the look as she stared in awe. It was incredibly to know that there was someone brave enough to call the Aburame leader an arrogant fool.

"The idiot got the wrong idea and lost all control. The park was surrounded with bugs and my date had disappeared. I was so furious at him."

Hinata leaned forward in anticipation, morbidly eager to hear what had happened. To know what would happen if Shino lost control.

She jumped when Misao abruptly sat up, clapping her hands twice.

"And that was that! Poof no control!"

Hinata opened her mouth to disagree with the anticlimactic ending, but the shadow behind the woman had taken the familiar shape of the "arrogant fool" and she smartly shut her mouth. In the haste of wanting to know more about the control issue, she had forgotten the two extra people in the room.

Well, honestly, she hadn't truly forgotten the figure behind her. His presence was like a refreshing cool breeze on a summer day, and Hinata wanted to lean back into his arms and soak it up. Only the thought ended when she remembered him telling her to go home.

With that in mind, she peeked over her shoulder like a child who had gotten caught in the cookie jar. Biting back the urge to sheepishly grin when her eyes met a grim looking Shino.

"Now, now my peevish men! What did I say about those damn glasses!"

The mother and wife couldn't have sounded any more happy at being caught.

Hinata bit back a groan.

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A/N: man, anyone keeping up with the manga... I read that today and just felt the need to post a chapter, even if I felt it was crappy. Hmph.

^_^ Enjoy!

Chao!


	32. Chapter 32

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Hinata wasn't sure what to be panicked about: Being barricaded by two eerily silent Aburame men, or the wicked grin on Misao's face that gave her the suspicion that the pregnant woman wouldn't be of any help.

"Hinata?"

It might have been the tone that he used that reminded her of when her father lectured her, or it might have been the feeling of his hand hovering above her shoulder – close enough to cool her skin but not completely touching.

Whatever it was, Hinata felt her body bunch up to avoid contact, caught between a flinch and a shudder.

Keeping her face still and innocent, she latched onto the one first thing that came into her mind.

"I'm not straining my body, I'm taking it easy."

She didn't have to look around to know that Shino was probably giving her a look that would make any child squirm, and she was _almost_ still childish enough to feel the urge to rotate her shoulders defensively.

True to the Hyuuga, she stiffened her back and held still, unknowingly giving a challenge to their authority.

"Your body perhaps, but it's still unclear if your mind, specifically your mouth, is getting any rest."

Shino watched as the slender shoulders stiffened even more, the only evidence of her hearing his words. Words that slipped out of his mouth before he even thought of how they would sound. He knew that she wouldn't have given up, Kiba and he knew that better than anyone.

That this beautiful woman would never stop if one of her friends were in any kind of trouble. Some say that too much determination was a blinding flaw, but Shino only had to look to Hinata to know that too much determination was a brilliant strength.

He knew all this, even back in the forest, and he still was thick headed enough to think that she would leave the subject alone. It made him wonder who the real arrogant fool was.

"Perhaps you're right; I must be going home and getting _proper_ rest."

His breath hitched and stopped as Hinata gracefully stood up, her growing hair a shimmering wave falling over her shoulders as she bowed respectfully to his parents. The urge to run a hand up that bowed back and curled itself into that glossy hair was overwhelming, and the only thing holding him back was the controlled lack of oxygen.

"Lady Misao, I thank you for your time and hospitality."

The smile wiped from her face, the woman in question expression was blank as she nodded in return.

"Hinata, you are welcomed here to visit anytime."

She watched as a small grimace flashed across the full lips before an answering nod, a nod that froze when Misao continued in a pained voice.

"But by the gods, please do not remind me of my age with that title. It's a painful jab to the ego you understand."

Hinata was surprised to find that instead of letting the tears that had been building fall, a choke chuckle escaped instead. Meeting the woman's eyes, she shared a moment of unspoken understanding. They were both involved with a complicated species of men. She was given a glimpse of the pain that would be accompanied by the peace in the dark blue eyes.

Stupid boys.

"I'll try to remember…thank you."

With that she turned around and without a glance towards the man next to her, left without a word.

The three heard the door shut with a soft noise before Misao sighed loudly.

"You are an idiot dear son!"

Watching his wife dramaticially fall back into the chair, Shibi turned to catch Shino quickly moving his head back from where he had been glancing at the door.

The small woman continued.

"You've finally grown the ba –" she turned the word when a firm hand on her shoulder appeared "grown into a gusty guy and now you screw it up!"

Shino passively watched as his father joined his mother on the small loveseat. Behind his glasses he felt a pang of envy when Shibi settled in by Misao with a large way calloused hand settling on the woman's slender leg.

The urge to touch Hinata was just beginning to fade, and he fought the desire to turn and chase after the purple heiress.

"Shino, you really are an idiot, but lucky for you that we still love you."

Instead of a loud voice as he expected, Shino was surprised at the softened tone she used. His father remained silent, knowing that his wife would handle the situation better then he ever could. A good solider knew when a gentle touch was needed.

"Stay out of it Mom."

Shibi felt his wife's twitch, and withheld his sigh of resignation.

"Excuse me brat? Why should I stay out of it?"

The older Aburame sighed aloud this time when his wife leapt to her feet to hiss at her son.

"You've finally her where you've always wanted her and now what! You're either being a complete ignoramus or you are being a jerk! You're….you're ..BLAH!"

Flinging herself back into the chair, Misao folded her arms across her chest in an apparent sulk, eyeing her child as if he was telling her no more sweets.

Shibi was amazed that this was the same woman who had spoken so sagely in the garden earlier.

………………………………………………

Hinata contained her feet from stomping as she entered into the moderate sized bedroom that she used in the main house. It was like the rest of the house, sparsely decorated and equipped with only the bare necessities that one would need for living.

She hated it.

Hinata use to plan out how her first real house would look like. How the walls would been soft colors of green or blue, how those walls wouldn't be so blank because she would hang up all the pictures she cared for; pictures of her team.

Now she just wanted to smash the photo of Shino, one she had accidently gotten while she was trying out a new camera. The figure was set against a large tree that somehow survived the numerous teams that had practiced in that specific training field. His gray coat had oddly contrasted with the worn brown trunk of the tree, reminding her of a very large bug.

Gingerly sitting on her bed, Hinata grumpily flipped the picture frame over so that the glass protected content was hidden from her eye.

If they weren't ignoring her, they were toying with her.

She was beginning to think that all men were out to disappoint.

At least his mother had been helpful, though the last part of her explanation had been rather abrupt. By now she felt as though she had the importance of the Aburame host control down, but what about what happens when one loses control?

Lying back on her pillows, Hinata focused on evening out her breathing while mulling the matter over.

How many Aburames had she met? Four that were hosts, but what about the ones who weren't hosts? Did they matter in this area?

Four all had serious control, not once had their chakra levels become imbalanced.

So, she thought sleepily, what happened when a ninja loses chakra control? When Kurenai had been teaching them to walk over water, she remembered how easily Shino had learned it. In fact, she and Kiba were the only ones that had messed up and ended up swimming. Although to be fair, they had done that once or twice in plain fun.

Who did she know that ever lost chakra control completely?

Yawning once before fully drifting off, Hinata promised to pursue the matter tomorrow, after all, she really was sore.

Stupid……boys..

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A/N: Thank you for all who reviewed! Some of those made me laugh! (Baby Cougar) And as to Shino losing control (Sleigh Belle) It will happen.

-Blushes- soooo idk if there's going to be anything...tangy, limey, or full citrusy in this story...but... it could later on...Just a warning.

I'd have to build my courage up to it.. lol

Thanks again!


	33. Chapter 33

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Hinata had woken up with a headache that left an unusual frown on her face. She had been silent the entire morning - not that it matter since no one had bothered her – before making her way to an empty training ground.

True to her word, she hadn't done anything other than a few stretches before sitting down to do more serious work.

Hinata had to think things through.

Pushing long strands of inky hair black out of her face, she unconsciously chewed on her lower lip as she reviewed the past few days. Several things had been made clear while several others had become more befuddling.

So the intelligent kunoichi began making a mental list.

1.)Aburame's jutsu's were based purely on chakra control.

2.)The insects would attack or defend if their host was uncontrolled.

3.)The men were prone to stubbornness and small bits of idiocy.

4.)She had only met a total of four Aburame Shinobi.

Pausing at that, Hinata thought of the people who were kikaichu hosts. Shibi was the most powerful, being a clan leader had to say something about his abilities. Whether Shino has surpassed or would become greater than his dad was still unknown to her, though her mind was leaning towards that.

So who else?

After witnessing the unusual display of emotions, including a serious temper, Shino's aunt must have some kind of good ability to give her the confidence of wanting to tear people apart. Shibrika was duly noted.

Then there was his uncle.

The image of the intimidating man came before her eyes, and Hinata paused. Now if anybody had a dark and unwelcoming story it would be him. Had he even been properly introduced? She couldn't remember hearing his name, and usually the Hyuuga woman was very good at remembering faces and names.

There was also the question of how he received those twin scars trailing from his covered eyes down to his jaw line; looking like permanent tear tracks.

He was scarier than Shibi and Shibrika, hands down – no contest. Unlike them he had a distinct air of violence, while his siblings might hesitate during a battle with conflict of morals or duty, Hinata was almost positive that Shino's uncle would not.

Now, the question was: has he lost control and the results of that incident are the scars and scary atmosphere or is he the one in ultimate control and thus the result of an aura that is almost detached and cold?

No, Hinata frowned at the ground as she scratched the last part out, he had shown up when he thought Misao was in danger. That showed some human emotion, but which one?

With these thoughts swirling around in her head like a twister, Hinata didn't notice the presence to her right in the trees until he stepped out.

Neji was a tall proud shinobi genus. He, like her, had worked the hardest to break away from what was expected of him and to go beyond. Now, instead of being ashamed, he wore his headband over the curse mark as an obstacle that had been overworked and defeated.

He was beautiful.

"Neji, I'm sorry I didn't see you there."

She watched as the beige tinted eyes glanced around the area casually until meeting hers again. It was amazing what Naruto did for him, breaking the blind spot and letting him see that his destiny wasn't pre-determined but was awaiting his decisions. Their relationship after the Chuuin exam had been distant if not friendly and the gap between them had slowly grown smaller.

The funny thing was, they rarely spoke about their personal problems, yet they each knew what was bothering the other and were able to convey advice without every openly talking about it.

It must have been a Hyuuga thing.

"I just returned from a mission."

That explain his slightly haggard appearance and the reason why he had found her out instead of waiting at the mansion; he must have heard about the kidnapping.

"I hope it was successful, though with Gai and Lee it probably went without a hitch."

The teasing was soft as she reminded him of his more outrageous teammates, and best friend. His friendship with Lee was almost parallel with that of Naruto and Sasuke. They even had a mutual affection for their single female teammate like that of the other two.

Except she knew that Neji's affection went a little farther and deeper for Tenten than comradely normally would.

"They..had a contest of who could do more cartwheels on the return trip."

Giggling at the pained voice, Hinata slowly made her way to her feet, feeling satisfaction when nothing hurt.

"Did Tenten join them?"

The brunette usually didn't, someone had to be the responsible adult, but on occasion after a difficult mission she would shed her maturity and enter in the competitions. She never did the insane punishments though, other than the two green clad beasts, who would?

"No, she preferred to scout ahead of us."

Hinata watched him from under her lashes when she spoke again.

"So, you joined them?"

The image of the regal man standing before her engaging in something as visually amusing as cartwheels had Hinata biting the inside of her cheek in effort not to laugh outright. The image of his long well kept hair flowing around as he flipped over –

"I stopped at one hundred."

Ignoring the choked mewl that escaped her throat, Hinata at him in astonishment.

"How many did Gai and Lee get too?"

The amused expression on her cousin's face didn't get past her.

"Gai got to four hundred, and Lee got to five hundred and thirty two."

He actually smiled, while Hinata stared at him with her mouth slightly agape. The mere thought of turning upside and then right side up had her feeling nauseous, and she was only thinking about them. To do actually do that many….

"Wow…"

Intuitively, they had arranged themselves to face each other as if they were about to spar. At his nod and her smile, they began what was the beginning of stage one exercise. It was purely to be active while they talked, and it wasn't really fighting so much as them slowly rotating into different gentle fist poses.

"Tenten and I saw Shino today."

Neji had a habit of walking Tenten home after a long mission, as if she needed an escort; Hinata had a suspicion that Tenten liked it anyway.

"Oh?"

Moving her arm back in a complete circle, she moved in her other arm out in front of her to complete the movement. Neji wouldn't have brought Aburame up without due cause.

Unaware as the rest of the Konoha, Hinata knew that Neji had a sensitive (and plainly evil) side of matchmaking. It was incurable and devious (though kind intentioned.)

So when he openly spoke of her teammate, Hinata was instantly on guard.

"He seemed to be looking for you."

She wasn't sure if she wanted to:

A.) Be happy that he was.

B.) Be upset that he was looking for her to probably scold her some more.

C.) Be cautious because it was probably about her being nosy.

D.) Be super cautious because Neji was looking a little _too_ nonchalant about bringing it up.

She decided on a mixture of the four. Slowly sliding a leg out while bringing her arms up in mirror of her legs, she shrugged.

"If he really wanted to find me, he would."

Neji parried her move slowly, his eyes on her the whole time. Any passerby who saw them would think that they had come to a standoff, and were pausing to comment on the other's form. If a shinobi passed by, they would probably stop and watch in amazement. Hyuuga's usually did not practice together outside of the Hyuuga compound.

"I see, Byakugan!"

The suddenly movement made Hinata jump as her tall cousin looked around the area with their bloodline trait before releasing the technique to smile down at her. Straightening from her pose, she dropped all practicing pretense and felt like frowning again.

"Shino, spying is rude."

Seeing Neji's raised eyebrows, she grimaced at him until he nodded imperceptibly. Now was not the time to ask ridiculously (and most likely embarrassing) questions.

With a final nod, Hinata watched as her cousin turned to leave the area, only pausing to nod at the tall Aburame that had stepped out of the trees. She watched with what she hoped was a blank expression until he left before turning to look at her teammate.

She couldn't even mentally tack on the "boyfriend" title. It seemed wrong, and after the few conversations and her own time wondering about him, Hinata was beginning to think that they weren't ever going to be like a "normal" couple.

Well, ninja relationships usually weren't normal; their lives were often cut short or full of unexpected dangers that the saying "take it while you can" was really emphasized.

If you weren't sure if you were going to last for the week let alone a year then don't waste time with the petty fights or bouts of indecision that were part of the dating process. Find someone and be with them, that was it, that was all, but even with that exception she was thinking that Shino wouldn't ever be able to do some of "normal shinobi" stuff.

It wasn't that she was unwilling to work and try for them, because she was more than willing. It was just….frustrating.

Hinata sighed at her predicament as he walked towards her. Why did it seem like their serious discussions happened when they were in a forested area, alone?

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A/N: Alright not very exciting but I hope the next chapter will make up for it.

By the way, I always update once I get enough reviews to satisfy me. lol! Shall I make a goal? How bout.......eight? lol


	34. Chapter 34

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He felt sick.

The weak-in-your-knees-stomach-churning-cold-sweat kind of feeling that had him pausing several times. This was new, and as always, new was frightening.

Missions were mandatory in the life of shinobi, but to Shino they were comforting routine. Assignments that were possibly dangerous (or possibly boring to tears) were expected, and he was always prepared. Something that was to be expected.

Calm. Cool. Collected.

"Triple C" as his mom referred to the mantra his father use to say to him before he left for any mission. It was what every Aburame had drilled into him before he reached the age of eight.

Don't lose your head.

Keep the 'overwhelming' emotions tucked tight.

Always think clearly before reacting.

Do not lose your temper unless you are sure you can handle the consequences.

When he was younger he had, at first, scoffed at these rules thinking that they were stemmed from the over worrying people who led his clan.

Then Team Eight was made and he realized that it was very easy to lose control. Well that and puberty.

It wasn't as instantaneous as some of the elder members had said, with the words they used Shino had almost pictured a bomb going off inside and him exploding.

The beginning he hadn't even noticed, just seconds of a strong emotion flashing through him like a lightening rod. Of course it left him feeling dazed and confused, but he was always to shrug it away as pertaining to whatever he was working on at that time.

It was at the Chuuin Exams when he was forced to stop and examine those pulses closer. The moments in the Forest of Death, while hiding fearfully from the Sand Siblings, holding their breath and silently praying to not be discovered. The bugs roaming inside his body had begun to create a tempo that was new to him.

That was until he had caught site of Hinata's fluttering pulse at the base of her throat and realized with a jolt that the kikaichu were mimicking her heartbeat. Erratic and unsettling, he was beyond comprehension as to why they were copying his teammates pulse. After a moment of confused shock, he had pushed it aside so he wasn't distracted at such a dangerous time. It was probably because she was the weakest comrade and female.

Then she had offered Naruto her unique healing ointment.

The anger that raced through him was hot and green as he unconsciously watched from the corner of his shaded eyes. He remembered viciously thinking that the snot rag idiot didn't deserve such loyal devotion, being so blindly ignorant to Hinata's feelings.

It had taken him several minutes to realize that he was jealous of her attention on the other man. That caught Shino off guard, it wasn't as if she had been specifically attentive solely to him anyway, she was just as to Kiba. Hell, she was even devoted to Akamaru.

Visibly shaking his head at his own blindness, Shino paused at the edge of the forest, taking in the scene in front of him. He had always respected Neji's high intellect, but he hadn't originally like the shinobi. It was something about having watched him almost kill Hinata that brought up a strong urge of dislike.

Watching the tall broad shoulder man talk now, he was assured that they really had gotten past their differences and were forming a very good relationship.

Bah, relationships.

Resisting the urge to bring up a hand to double check that his glasses were in place, Shino watched as Hinata's brow darkened. Of course she had every right to be angry, she didn't forget words easily, a trait that has both hindered and helped her.

"I..would like to talk to you, Hinata."

He felt like cringing at her expressive 'that's obvious' look but kept himself in check. Her stance was still partially in a stance of Gentle Fist, and Shino wasn't too sure if she would hesitate to use it if he said something that displeased her.

"I.."

His words died as he looked at her. The wind was light, only ruffling the hair around her face as lavender eyes stared at him unflinchingly. Instead of curved protective shoulders, she was standing tall and straight, as if she was prepared to take on the world.

When did she stop cowering? When did her opinions become so openly noticeable? Looking at her firm look, Shino felt his nerves melt away.

"You're so beautiful, and I'm so stupid."

Hinata felt like he pushed her, mentally stumbling backwards while flailing for some kind of purchase. His face was mostly covered, by she could still sense if not see the softening of his expression as he slouched slightly in place. As if all the tension had left his body.

The breeze gently whistled for several seconds before she sheepishly raised a hand to run through her hair; her cheeks aflame with embarrassment at the offhand compliment.

"Well, I was prepared for a more direct argument, but this is a pretty interesting tactic Shino."

His head was already shaking before she ever finished. She fought the urge to walk to him and take off those glasses, but the thought had her clenching her fist and steeling her spine.

She had been able to read him good enough before this, glasses or no glasses.

Hinata stubbornly ignored the fact that she also wanted to take the glasses off so that she could admire the beautiful eyes behind them, or that she wanted to get close enough to him to see how he reacted.

No, no indeed she was_ angry_ and _hurt_ because he didn't want to tell her. He didn't want her to be a part of his life beyond team eight.

Hmph indeed.

"This…isn't a tactic. I really am stupid."

He ignored the nod of agreement and continued, rushing the words out of his mouth in case something else happened to ruin this.

"I was always taught to control feelings, because if I didn't then someone could get seriously hurt. Everyone in the council of Aburame had warned me that great power comes with great sacrifices. I always thought that meant to not have feelings for someone, that with enough training I could shut my emotions off."

Hinata watched in fascination as the man in front of her ran his hands through his hair in a frustrated and absent-minded gesture. An unnerved Shino was new and attractive.

"That's not true obviously. People think ninja must be emotionless tools to do their jobs, but it's the opposite. We feel too much."

Her breathing hitched when he walked towards her, his hand reaching out to touch her cheek gently. This was completely not what she had thought was going to happen, but what she had thought was quickly leaking out of her mind as he leaned into closer; his quiet voice barely reaching her ears.

"For example, I feel so…helpless when you cry, or so…..jealous when someone else has your attention…. Sometimes I don't feel like I can control myself."

Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing.

It wasn't just the words that had the blood rushing through her head, but also the feeling of intensity behind him. The sincerity and the instinct of danger had her heart pounding away with awareness. Hinata fought to stay conscious as his large hands encircled her wrists. she swallowed several times before trying to speak.

"Wha..?"

The cold rim of his glasses scraped the skin under her eyes when he leaned, their lips practically brushing.

"You undo me."

Her confusion was abruptly cut off when Shino's lips pressed against her. The kiss was both undemanding and uncontrolled, creating shivers rolling up and down her spine as her hands automatically came up to find a grip on his jacket; his hands moving to sit high on her hips.

Hinata's mind remained pleasantly blank until he moved back a moment later, almost calmly breaking her loose grip on him and standing a foot away.

"You want to know about the Aburame control? Alright, I'll let you pry and poke, but I won't help you."

Caught up in the business of controlling her racing breathe and pulse, Hinata was lost at the sudden change of attitude. What just happened?

She tried not to let her disappointment show at the kiss ending.

"W- what are you saying Shino?"

He wasn't even sure; he had kissed her without thinking. It just had to happen or else he was going to explode hormones all over the place. Not that he regretted it, if the short kiss hadn't been enough, watching a flustered and pink Hinata was enough. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Shino was smugly thinking that Naruto never did that to her.

"It's not my story to tell, I told you the mechanics of it but I don't actually know what happens when we lose control."

Hinata nodded, surprised at the relief that coursed through her. Had she really been that worried that he'd be upset at her poking around his family affairs.

Her smile froze at his next words.

"But don't forget that there will be consequences for your actions. Today was a good example."

Shino smiled slightly at her confused expression, bringing up a hand to slide through a lock of hair that had fallen over her shoulder.

"I told you I'm stupid, I might act like I have control but when you're involved, I really don't. If you want a relationship, I think it might have to be all or nothing."

Hinata could only blink as Shino leaned forward, his hands coming up to tightly grip her face as he placed another more desperate kiss on her surprised lips. This time her breath was gone when he leaned back to briefly rest his forehead on hers. Hinata was shocked to hear a low vibrating. She was even more shocked when she heard his labored breathing.

"I'm sorry."

In a blink of eye, Shino abruptly turned away.

Bringing her fingers up to touch her lips, she didn't say anything as she watched his retreating back. Feeling like she had opened a dangerous pandora's box, Hinata couldn't muster up the strength to feel bad about doing it.

She wanted more.

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A/N:

Funny thing, this chapter is nothing like I wanted it to be. lol It went the total opposite direction. ^^ oh well!

So... I THANK everyone who reviewed! And... if you happen to get the urge to click that blessed 'review' button for this chapter, I will AGAIN be THANKFUL! hahahah ^^

Anyway, was it fluffy 'nough? I had wanted to get a little steamier but decided that it was premature. I think they should mature a little more? hmmm..

Till next time!

Arc


	35. Chapter 35

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Kiba decided that today would be a good day.

The sun was out and gloriously shining, not a cloud was to be seen, and he had the rare freedom of being able to do whatever the hell he wanted.

And breakfast had not been burnt by his mother, oh yes; today was to be a good day indeed.

"What should we do today Akamaru, gotta take the chance while we have it!"

He laughed as the big shaggy dog ran ahead, agilely dodging the bodies in the crowd as he headed towards the woods. Of course the hound would want to spend the day messing around in the trees. Actually, it didn't sound so bad.

"Kiba?"

His ears pricking at the light friendly tone from behind him, Kiba turned to meet the waiting gaze of a certain blue eyed kunoichi.

"Hi Ino, what's up?"

She was just as beautiful as ever, with a curvaceous body and glossy long hair the color of gold. Silky locks that made his hand itch to run itself through it whenever she walked past. Oh, this vixen drove him wild with her spunky personality and coy feline by-passes.

Today though, she seemed to be in a passive mood, as she smiled casually at him while bending down to properly greet Akamaru.

"Well dear, you're more gorgeous every time I see you. Too bad I can't say the same for your owner, huh? "

Akamaru barked in complete agreement as the blonde continued to scruff him behind the hard to reach spot on his ears. Kiba found himself to be a little jealous, and showed it up crossing his arms and frowning. Hey, he wasn't like his teammates, he had no problem showing his emotions.

"I wanna be rubbed like that too, don't be such a hog Akamaru."

A low growl from the woman was the answer he got, but his flirty reply was interrupted when a distinctly cocoon figure caught the corner of his eye.

Ino raised her brow at his sudden change of interest, not feeling the least put out. Especially when the person who caught his attention was a male team member.

Standing up and brushing the dirt from her bare knees, Ino smiled while closing the distance between them.

"Boy troubles deary? Too bad, I was hoping to be the trouble for today."

The purr in his ear had Kiba mentally throwing obscenities at his insect friend. Why oh why did he have to care so much about those two! Here she was, the object of his own desire, teasing him with her heat of their close proximity and he was distracted because Shino was an idiot.

And today was suppose to be a good day.

"Yeah, Shino won't be a man and confess. Or something like that."

He saw that perked up Ino's ear, her female intuition kicking in high gear as she stepped back to scrutinize him.

"Oh really?"

Watching her eyes lighten with amusement, he inwardly reflected that he hadn't confessed either, even though they had been technically dating for the last couple months.

"Hey, I'm a man of actions, not of words."

Watching that smirk slide off her face, he felt like whining with Akamaru as Ino shook her head in blatant disappointment.

"You are a man of stupidity, taking me out and kissing me isn't a confession of commitment, and words aren't always what is needed either. If you combined Shino's words and your actions we would have a perfect guy."

Kiba started but stopped as Ino leaned forward to give him a lingering kiss on the cheek, a motion that him feeling hot and guilty when she pulled back to smile at him.

"Don't worry; in our line of work commitment isn't as important as the moment. Go help your friend out."

Feeling a rush of gratitude towards her understanding, Kiba impulsively leaned forward to capture her lips in a quick kiss.

"Thanks Ino, I'll stop by the shop later okay?"

Without waiting for an answer he turned to follow his idiotic teammate's path when Ino's voice broke his thoughts, a smile evident in her tone.

"Don't bother; I was heading towards Shikamaru's anyway. We'll catch up later, m'kay?"

The blonde waited until the stiffened form was lost in the crowd of people before laughing loudly at his obvious jealously. Seriously, the guy was just too much fun to mess with. Though, she had left out the tidbit that she was only going over to Shikamaru's to help his mom with something.

Still, never hurt to make a guy jealous, kept them on their toes.

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Hinata was starting to wish that she had broken Shino's toes.

That way he'd at least have to walk away more slowly instead of the casual-not-so-casual-walk-yet-almost-a-sprint he had pulled after kissing her and apologizing.

Staring at the blank wall in front of her, she forced herself to relax as a pretty waitress brought her a plate of dango.

Despite her intelligence and fighting experience, she wasn't so sure as to her skills in relationships. After all, she had literally fainted whenever a certain blonde haired knucklehead looked at her let alone talk to her, and it wasn't like she had a pile of suitors waiting outside her doorstep every day.

Timid girls usually didn't get much chance at dating. The whole horrifyingly quiet thing seemed to be a turn off apparently.

That wasn't to say that she was naïve, no Hinata has her fair share of trashy romances stock secretly away under her clothes at home (not that it matter-what with the inconvenient byakugan.) It was also hard to not get some kind of idea of how things work when she had friends such as Ino and Sakura.

Those two practically lived off of that kind of drama.

Besides, what kind of ninja would she be if she couldn't use reason and deductions to figure something out on her own? It would be terribly shameful if she couldn't.

Didn't help things much though when part of the problem was antisocial.

So, as she munched on the food in front of her, Hinata found herself pondering yet again of her current predicament.

Shino obviously expected some epic catastrophe to happen; whether it be (what she secretly suspected) his suppressed emotions and hormones or the rigid control snapping. The latter seemed to be the more dangerous, and from all the elusive comments she's heard, it seemed like fatality was definitely possible.

So..nothing too major.

Another was the fact that she had been kidnapped, and now there was this very real possibility that her clan was being targeted and be would targeted again.

This proved to more serious than her dysfunctional relationship. The beautiful image of her younger sister came to mind, and Hinata experienced a split second of fear and pain.

How could she have forgotten?!

Leaving the rest of her food, Hinata quickly rushed from the stand and headed towards the first person who she needed to contact.

...................................

"Do you plan on wondering around the outskirts all day? Or did you just want to ruin a potential sexy meeting of mine with Ino?"

Kiba's customary scowl didn't affect Shino as much as the dog-nin had hoped for. Instead of answering, the Aburame had just continued to trudge around the perimeter of the inner market place.

He let the silence linger for a few more seconds before sighing loudly and sharing a glance with Akamaru.

"You know, this brooding personality trait is probably a really big turn off for a girl. Aren't they suppose to be the ones who –"

An ominous humming cut him off, and Kiba growled in growing irritation.

"Kiba, you don't get it."

It wasn't the emotionless tone that caught the sensitive hearing shinobi, it was the acute body response that accompanied it: the tightening of muscles, the deliberate even breathing.

Reigning in the natural impatience that led his life, Kiba choose his words carefully before speaking quietly.

"I might not 'get it' but I'm sure this approach isn't helping Shino."

The unthreatening silence prodded him to continue.

"You know, Ino always spout this ninja garbage off, and at least I thought it was pretty stupid. But after nearly dying a few times I began to understand it a little better."

A small tilt of the hooded head had Kiba holding his breath as his spoke. He had to be careful or else he'd be laid out flat.

"It goes on about something that in the shinobi's work, there isn't enough time to worry about the fine writing or line …whatever, but to just take what can be given in the moment. You know, 'cause we're going to die young and such crap."

Shino watched out of his peripheral vision as his shaggy haired friend abruptly stopped talking, his hand embarrassingly scratching at his neck and his eyes boring straight ahead.

Sometimes it easy to forget that there was a reason why this mutt was his best friend.

It was times like these that he felt that compelling urge to open up, and did so now despite the inbred apprehension that comes with easing the control that he lived strictly on.

Funny how friends do that to people.

"What…if living in the moment could prove…fatal?"

He bit his tongue at actually speaking it out loud, and inwardly cringe when Kiba stopped walking. Shino hesitated before turning around to face the red striped teen, and the surprisingly grin on his face.

"Sometimes that happens I guess, but if the moment before that happens is _good_ then it's alright, right?"

Was it? Shino had to frown at the thought, before the suggestive tone Kiba had used clicked in his head.

A moment later he walked away to continued his sulk, leaving a well disciplined Kiba on the ground behind him.

"What the hell! After all I do for you!"

Shino raised his tone only a little as he called back.

"Pervert."

He missed the grin on Kiba's face as he absently rubbed his head, muttering to the dog at his feet.

"Yeah, but you know he was thinking that too huh?"

..................................

A/N: Wow, so my laptop does this not-so-cute thing of randomly shutting off and not starting back up for hours or days... it's seriously tested my patience...

Anyway, I know some of you think I've forgotten other plots (partially true but not quite) but it's all in good time. Perhaps I wanted to focus on Shino's issues, lol.

Schools started....so updates are probably going to slow down a wee bit, sorry can't be helped.

Again, Reviews make me happy! They actually make my day sometimes ( I know I don't always reply, but that doesn't mean I don't read and appreciate them!)

Some...make me laugh out loud in a literal sense.

Review Goal:.... 9! ooooo ^^

...really long A/N...crazy


	36. Chapter 36

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Asuma was a man of numerable talents. With his dangerously honed ninja skills, he was definitely a man entitled to fear, or at least worthy of the admiration to the fact that he had self preservation.

In other words, Asuma knew when it was safe (and smart) to run instead of fighting.

Standing now in the open doorway of Kurenai's apartment facing down into the dangerously determined face of his fiancés only female student, Asuma was faced with this very choice: fight for Kurenai's time and attention (he was sure that the young lady's expression promised violence) or take his loss and escape with all his chakra intact.

The man wasn't stupid.

"Excuse me Hinata, I was just leaving," cautiously stepping around the Hyuuga woman, Asuma called over his shoulder to the beautiful woman who was watching the ongoing with a poorly concealed smirk, "Kurenai, I'll catch you up later."

Hinata flushed with embarrassment as the older Jouuin swiftly brushed past her in the door. She hadn't meant to interrupt any…alone time, and when she hesitated in the door after he left, Kurenai spoke.

"What's wrong? Didn't you want to discuss something?"

Hovering anxiously, she tried not to fiddle with her fingers out of long habit.

"Um..well, I d-didn't mean to in-interrupt.."

Hinata wasn't even quite sure what she might have brought to an abrupt end. She had not really taken the time to consider what she was doing, or who she was bothering. All she had on her mind was Hanabi.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to.." She gestured helplessly.

The older woman's laugh vibrated off the walls and Hinata's ears as she was beckoned into the neatly decorated apartment.

"Don't worry about it, now come sit down and we'll talk."

Settling herself at the small plain looking table, Hinata couldn't help but wonder if this was hot it felt to have a mother, or perhaps an older sister. Someone who doesn't abandon her at the first sign of weakness, and ignored her as a failure. An unconditional bond and love.

A steaming cup of tea being placed in front of her holded hands brought Hinata out of her reverie, and looking up at the makeup enhanced eyes – kindly regarding her from across the tabler- Hinata spoke impulsively.

"Is this what a mother would act like?"

She regretted the words instantly as a sad shadow passed over her sensei's face. It hadn't meant to sound so deprived, but it couldn't be helped; the fact was that she couldn't' remember how it was like to have such a person. Not that she cried over it much, if at all. She didn't have a memory that wasn't distorted with haziness of childhood, nor did she have any photos.

It was tough not having at least a face to cry over, so she didn't cry.

"Has Hiashi said something again?"

Kurenai was one of the handful of people who never put the suffix 'lord' in addressing her father. It took Hinata a few years of maturing before she realized it was more than plain dislike that had her sensei be so disrespectful.

Kurenai simply loathed the man and all her stands for.

In a far corner of her mind, Hinata thought she could understand why.

"No," the other woman's face relaxed "I wanted to talk about something I remembered from…being kidnapped."

Both ignored the ashamed flush that lit her cheeks; though the older doing so in respect to the younger's desire.

"And here I was hoping I'd get to hear some juicy tid bits about our young Aburame."

The flush intensified as Hinata refused to meet Kurenai's laughing eyes. I t wasn't like there was much to say; she wasn't going to disclose what happened at the training ground. She had a hard enough time not remembering the memory of that kiss…

The thought rammed to a halt as she forced it away; no way was she going to think about that as she sat leisurely sipping tea with her sensei. There was a limit to Hinata's mindful rebellion, and thinking of kissing boys was it.

"Uh, no…Kurenai-sensei do you know anything about the Hyuuga clan?"

Suspicion arose when the amused smile slid off the pretty face.

"Anything isn't very specific Hinata."

The clip dissuading tone seemed to only make the failed Hyuuga heiress only more determined.

Frankly she was tired of people not answering her questions.

"Specifically, what did they use to do with people they…didn't want anymore?"

Kurenai's finely arched brows puckered, and Hinata only belatedly realized that the woman probably thought she was referring to herself.

A shiver ran down her neck at the parallel thought of her fate and the man with pus leaking eyes.

Could it have happened to her if she had been born earlier?

"Is this about you or someone else?"

Jet hair fell over her shoulders as she shook her head, both in answer and to rid the slimy feeling that was being imagined about her eyes; making them itch at the nonexistent liquid.

What if?

"No, I'm not bothered by his rejection anymore. It's just that I was thinking about the..Hyuuga…the prisoner."

The teacup rattled as she tried to gently set it down. Her mentor's face had gone still at the mention of her kidnapper; a sure sign of her lack of cooperation. Or had it been because she said the name Hyuuga? Now that she thought of it, had she told anyone what happened? The night was hazy in a few spots.

Kurenai's next words proved that Hinata's gut instinct of suspicion was right.

"Don't pry Hinata, curiosity killed or traumatized the cat."

The following silence was thick; both now aware that one was withholding information (and Hinata was one hundred percent positive that Kurenai knew something) and that it wasn't going to be disclosed anytime soon.

It hurt to see the closed finality on the face of the person who basically raised her. A stark reminder that the life they led was full of secrets. In a life of lies, manipulation, and power-plays what response had she expected?

It was painful, but not enough to deter her. Determination and willpower were just a few things Naruto taught her.

Standing up with something that resembled calm; Hinata stepped around the chair to face the door.

"Hinata…."

Pausing with a hand on the doorknob, she looked over her shoulder to smile at the torn expression on Kurenai's face.

"It's okay Kurenai-sensei, I understand," She hesitated before boldly continuing, "but I'm still going to search and find the answers, even if you don't help me."

**………………**

Far below the Hokage Tower, water dripped incessantly onto the slippery wet floor in the dank hallway. Dark and dim, the poorly kept door on the right side was almost impossible to see; it being nearly an identical color to the moldy brick wall surrounding it.

Behind the rotted wood, a muffled sound kept tempo with the drip.

**…………………………**

The day had been long, too long for Shino's taste. Not that it wasn't his fault. Walking circles in the town, he had ignored the growing stares of the vendors, and sulked.

He was just as confused as he had been before he had started walking, if not even more. About Hinata, the recent mission, and mostly his own thoughts and feelings.

The question wasn't if he loved her or not; it was if he could handle the drastic change in the amount of emotion that's been seeping out lately.

Hinata was miraculously in his reach, and god only knows that it'd take power beyond all of Konoha's ninja to have him turn away from her now. It was a dangerous tension in his shoulders; waiting for the last push to happen so he could break.

It wouldn't be a threat to him, but to Hinata and any who try to keep him from her. The very realization had him sick to his stomach. A very dark feeling of possession and violence occupied the thought.

Bah!

Entering the oddly quiet house, Shino's steps slowed as he took a quick look around.

"Mom?"

Usually the small woman would burst out of some shadow or crevice to squeeze the life out of him. It was the same for any ninja Aburame; a welcome that they all adored. To know that when they went on a mission there was someone waiting at home to hug and welcome them was all that kept them going sometimes.

He dare not image Hinata in his Mom's place; it was rare for a kunoichi to wait for a shinobi. Wives usually gave up their dangerous life in favor of more domestic pursuits, but he would never do that to her. Hinata had worked too hard for that to happen; all he'd ask would to be the reason for her to return.

That still didn't explain where his mom was, not bothering to take off his sandals Shino briskly headed towards the back door that had an opening to the garden.

Pausing briefly at the opened door, he frowned behind the jacket until he caught a glimpse of wild brown hair by a particularly faded looking tree.

"Mom? What are you doing?"

A hand flop over the hair was all the response he got.

Cutting onto the grass, Shino trained his eyes on the top part of her head; trailing down as he came closer, exposing the rest of her. Finally stopping by her side, he quietly watched as she poked and prodded the trunk; a troubled expression occupying her face.

It wasn't very old, and its youth showed in the slender appearance; being easily dwarfed by the surrounding leafy trees.

" I think it's sick but I can't figure out why."

Misao's face become increasingly worried as she fluttered around the tiny trunk. Shino watched with detachment. It was probably her love of flora that had allowed his mom to ignore his father's kikaichu. Actually, Shibrika once joked that Misao planned to marry an Aburame all along, just so their handy dandy bugs could watched over her plants from other bugs.

"It looks dead."

He hadn't meant to speak aloud, but it wasn't like it was untrue. Without any specific reason, it really bothered him how worried she was over one puny sapling.

"Don't say that Shino! It can recover, it just needs help!"

Perplexed as to how a plant can get help, he glanced down to see a desperate look cross her face as a hand unconsciously touched her stomach. He was surprised to her eyes on him instead of the tree.

"Hm?

Misao felt the confusion in her son and sighed. Really, the love for her family was occasional overwhelming, but sometimes though, she couldn't help but feel astonished at their stupidity. Was this kind of blindness taught at the ninja academy?

.....................................


	37. Chapter 37

Hinata might have felt cool and confident when she had spoken those last words at Kurenai's, but the reality was not as classy. In truth, she had no idea where to start.

Lying snug under the covers in her bed, Hinata laboriously chewed on her lip as she stared at the ceiling in thought.

The most obvious answer was to go directly to her father or council member and ask. There were several problems to this plan though; Hiashi would ask why, to wish she couldn't honestly answer, the council members –who were generally a crusty bunch anyway- would demand for her to be punished for such arrogance, and most of all she was plainly terrified of asking either of them.

The image of rotting eyes might have fueled that fear. Although technically the heir, Hinata sadly didn't think that they would hesitate in "eliminating" her if dirty secrets were threatened to be surfaced. After all, Hinata cynically mused, she was weak and unworthy to them.

So, she grumpily shifted, very few options were left. Everything had to be done discreetly, if she didn't want to arouse their suspicions. This, of course, left Tsunade out since the brazen Hokage had taken the prisoner and was general incapable of doing anything discreetly or quietly.

Hinata was going to need help, and though it made her fretfully uneasy; she knew two guys who'd help no matter what.

She just hoped she'd keep face around Shino. It'd be no time to show him how affected she was by his promising threat of …well she wasn't even sure.

……………….

Hawk eyes bored into the others as she brought finger tips up to poke against the swollen skin. The gentle touch caused liquefied decay to burst forth from the inflamed lid – receiving a pitiful pain filled groan from its owner.

A few of the masked shadows shifted uneasily when a hand slowly curled into a fist.

"Who allowed this?"

A contagious shiver passed through the toughest shinobi branch at the icy tone.

"….H-hyuuga, mam."

…………………

Shino loved his parents; their support helped him through some of the roughest moments in his life as a shinobi.

Still, despite the fact that they don't show much public affection, they excluded so much love for the other with simple glances that it was almost suffocating.

"Shino, where are you going?"

Glancing at the spot where his parents were, Misao sitting in a low chair while her petite feet were propped up on Shibi's strong thighs, his hands gently rubbing circle on the soles. The bump was barely starting to show through her comfortable dress.

They presented such a peaceful picture, that if Shibi's stance was a little less tense, they would have looked like a normal civilian family.

He almost snorted at "normal". What a joke.

"To meet my team, I'll be home for dinner."

It wasn't completely untrue, he was meeting a teammate. Kiba to be exact.

"Team huh? Sure you aren't sneaking off for a hopefully well concealed lip wrestling session with a certain comrade?"

Shibi's ministrations paused as his eyebrows rose. Per house rule, his dark eyes were visible to express themselves as they looked at his son.

"No, not Kiba?"

Shino quickly left, the sounds of his mother's laughter echoing in his skull.

They definitely weren't normal.

……………………

"AaaaaCHOO!"

The noise resounded off the surrounding shelves, and she quickly brought a hand up to miserable dab at the reddening tip of her nose.

Konoha's library had to be the shabbiest neglected book keeping place in the world!

Smells of musky paper and dusty dank rooms clogged her olfactory as she inched through the ancient crinkled scrolls; squinting in vain at the ridiculously tiny writing in hopes of finding a hint of her family history.

It was a fast becoming shame that here the Byakugan was useless, and when she needed the darn thing too.

Setting down the scroll she was currently pouring over, Hinata straightened from the hunched position with several audible cracks as her spine stretched. Pressing the heel of her hands against her aching lids, she jumped when a voice spoke in front of her.

"Ms. Hyuuga?"

Owlishly blinking at the blurry figure, she fought not to lean forward and narrow her eyes in attempt to see as she answered.

"Y-yes?"

She wasn't quite sure why she felt guilty at being caught reading about her family's history, but couldn't stop the movement of her hands –covering the inelligible writing with her fingers as she peered through the floating dust particles at the young man.

It was always a bit of a shock when she meets or talks to a person who is not a ninja – being so use to them and their casual-but-never-truly-casual way of life. A ninja was always on the alert for death, being as it was literally always lurking around the corner, but a civilian didn't have to worry about assassination.

They were really free just to live their lives as average as possible – and as ignorant as possible. Hinata found it amazing sometimes how the people of Konoha could be so naïve about the political workings of their village, but, as she took in the comfortable nonfighting outfit the tall blonde hair teen wore, she felt a little bit better knowing she was protecting something so…innocent.

"There are two..young…men out front waiting for you"

His tone was apparent that these particular men were lacking in several areas; all that she could intimately describe.

"Oh, thank you."

Feeling vaguely flustered at the amount of papers strewn around her, Hinata was more than grateful to hand over the task of putting them away to the offering librarian – though she was sure it was more out of his fear of her putting things away in the haphazard way she had mentally been planning.

Usually a stickler to organization – she just could not stand musky, dusty, bookshelves.

With that perfect escape, Hinata rushed out with only a bit of embarrassment at her eagerness to get away from the ancient building, she swung the doors wide. Closing her eyes against the bright light, she took a deep gulp of fresh clean air.

"That bad huh?"

Blinking through the haze of going from dark to very light too quickly, Hinata didn't bother turning her head towards the picture group to her left.

Kiba slouched against the crumbling wall – arms crossed in customary pose of relaxed masculinity- faithful sidekick lounging in a sit at his feet. Shino would be standing upright and covered from head to toe a few feet from the other two – in a natural if not casual defense pose. All three made up a good triangle in case anyone decided to attack from any sides.

No, Hinata didn't need to see that, breathing in all the gloriously uncluttered oxygen and snorting out all the dirt from sniffing dead parchment was much nicer.

She refused to admit that it was always a good way of not becoming distracted by a certain man's presence, no, Hinata needed to clear her head of that and focus on the problem at hand. Time enough later to fall apart and let herself be all mushy and girly.

"So, what did ya need us for 'Nata?"

Shaking final thoughts of being a complete girl in a secluded area with Shino away, Hinata took another breathe – this time in preparation of what she needed to explain.

"I need your guy's help, but…I can't explain here."

They each stiffened at the seriousness in her quiet tone, noting the way her perceptive eyes darted around the area in a manner that marked that what she was going to divulge to them was dangerous and important.

It didn't take much for Shino to guess what it was about; after all, despite her family affairs Hinata was fiercely loyal to Hanabi and Neji.

Nodding once, he made a casual gesture towards the north; a move that they all knew meant the location of a training ground that was particularly open. An airy field that didn't have many trees around it thanks to the help of Tsunade's training with Sakura. Where plenty of trees once were rooted, there were now numerous craters that were shallow enough to see in but deep enough to be useful in some training.

Good place for not being overheard.

………………………………

A/N: It was longer but so humorous reasons I cut it off here.

Enjoy.


	38. Chapter 38

* * *

............

The walk was quiet, Hinata being left with Shino as Kiba – unable to stand still in the worst of times- was bounding ahead of them with Akamaru. It was nice to see that they kept up their energetic optimism in spite of her daunting news. Those two just simply could not be solemn in the sunlit mission-less day.

Shino walked besides her, and if she hadn't been mistaken he was purposefully crowding her as they lagged behind the abounding duo. It was setting her on edge.

When his arm bumped into hers again, Hinata finally turned to meet him.

"Why are you doing that?"

For some reason she felt at a disadvantage and sought to equal it by raising her chin in an expression that clearly meant 'I'm not intimidated by you'.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

The question made her snort in a very unladylike fashion. Turning away with concealed agitation, Hinata focused her precious eyes on the rear end of Akamaru as she replied in what she hoped was a cool voice.

"Shino, I should be the one asking you that – you run away at the earliest opportunity. And it's usually after something significant is said."

She had planned on walking ahead of him, perhaps giving him a taste of how it felt by being walked away from, but was stopped with his cold fingers wrapping around her wrist. The touch should have made her shiver, and subconsciously she knew that other girls would have twisted away in discomfort.

But all Hinata wanted to do was leaned into the coldness, to be surrounded by it because at least then she would know that it was real and not some passing fantasy.

This wasn't how things were though, so instead of throwing herself into his arms, she stayed facing away – allowing him to touch but not allowing herself to be distracted by what she so dearly wanted. She had to protect her family, even if it meant putting their rocky relationship on the back burner.

"I…do not handle these…situations well…"

Hearing him hesitate caused Hinata's heart to clench with want to turn around and comfort him, but she gritted her teeth. If he wanted to change then she couldn't be the one to break down first. Even if listening to the shaky insecurity in his voice made her tremble in response.

"Hinata…I..don't think I could stop once I start.."

Shino paused in attempt to swallow the nerves that were making his voice waver like a child's – taking another deep breath before looking up to try again he was surprised by the dark head turned so her fathomless pale eyes stared straight into his. He was mesmerized, not feeling her warm touch as she detached her hand from his before speaking.

"Shino…I never said I want you to stop."

This kiss was the first that Hinata ever fully initiated. His mind swirled with unfamiliar warmth as sweet soft lips brushed against his- finger tips lingeringly brushed across his chest – the touch burning through the thick material to his racing heart. A familiar humming vibrating his chest as he fought for breath.

He hadn't even realized that his eyes had drifted shut until Kiba's distant voice brought him crashing back down to earth. Her footsteps had been so light that he didn't know what had happened until he was opening his covered eyes to see her retreating form as she went to catch up with the others.

So, despite all the warnings he had tried to say, all the chances he gave her to walk away – this was her answer.

Slowly walking towards the appearing clearing ahead of him – the three ahead of him small in the distance – Shino brought a slightly trembling hand up to stare at it.

He only prayed that she knew what she was doing.

………………………..

* * *

"I can't believe the old farts would do that! I mean, I thought they had some sort of compassion!"

Kiba's outrage gave voice to all of their thoughts, as Hinata sighed in silent relief at having gotten the burden off her shoulders. It was still there, it just was now shared among the three, and that was a comforting thought to her.

"Yes, well they were never known for their k-kindness."

They were seated in the middle of three craters; Kiba sprawled alongside Akamaru on one side, leaving Shino and her to share the other side. There had been an awkward moment of awareness, where they each acted like they didn't notice that the other noticed, but it quickly subsided as Hinata began to speak.

"Even this is too cruel, there has to be something else behind the council taking his eyes."

Uneasiness was developing between her shoulders the thought and Hinata unconsciously shifted to try and ease the feeling.

"…why was he exiled? Or why is he so disgusted by the branches of family?"

Kiba's thoughtful voice echoed all their thoughts as they fell into silence – each trying to sort all the information out. Feeling her head begin to pound, Hinata sighed before straightening up.

"I – I must find out..for Hanabi and..Neji…If there are others who were subjugated to such a treatment than something must be done."

The boys nodded in agreement. There was a pause after her declaration before Kiba spoke up again – a hand soothingly petting Akamaru's large head.

"The Hokage should know about this."

This was where Hinata's confidence became shaky, and she chewed on her lower lip before making a decision to speak only to have Shino cut her off.

"If the Hyuuga was as unstable as he was when we caught him, then the Anbu or interrogation shinobi units will get the information easily. If they can't then there is no doubt that Tsunade will get it herself."

He watched through his shaded glasses as Kiba's expression lightened considerable while Hinata simply dropped her head to hide her face.

"Hinata?"

Suddenly fierce eyes were staring at him.

"I cannot simply let these elders deal with it on their own! They need change, and since the one person who can change anything is not here, then I will have to be the one who puts an end to this terrible secret!"

So focused on her thoughts and ambition, Hinata didn't notice the darkening of the shinobi next to her. He might like Naruto but not in sharing something he had thought was untouchable for so long.

...........

* * *

A/N: Ah so short! So akward! I feel like I should write a scene where a bug user throws a eye user against the wall in a moment of heeaaattteeed passsssiiioooon...

=3


	39. Chapter 39

* * *

**.......................**

She was furious.

Most of the time the anger that was shown was only up to about fifty percent of actual fury. Known to little, it was very hard to make her so mad that she would kill.

But now, oh yes, now she was practically bloodthirsty.

Feeling the worried eyes of her apprentice fall on her again, Tsunade crushed the cup of tea she was holding before standing up and going to stare out the large windows.

"Ts-tsunade?"

Hearing the tentative voice behind her, as Shizune was no doubt trying to save documents from being ruined by the spilt tear, the elderly woman forced her shoulders to relax.

"I know I should not interfere with clan on-goings, and that the crime itself was done in the past."

Anger abruptly clenched her jaw shut, and it took all she had from keeping her fist from smashing the window in front of her. Just thinking of the decaying prisoner was enough to make her want to go on a hunting trip that would end with a few heads on a platter. Hyuuga heads to be specific.

"But it is still cruel and wrong?"

Feeling her assistant, and truthfully – one of her closet friends- come up to stand next to her, Tsunade nodded gravely before lowering her voice.

"Is it really so different from what we do ourselves Shizune? I allow torture to happen on people who withhold information. Is it really so wrong because in sort of twisted way I understand why they did it."

And the gut feeling was enough to make her feel worse for even speaking it out loud.

"But Tsunade…What they did endangered the village! They tortured a man than exiled him to wander around the world – who knows what he told people about the clan's kekkei genkei or can't even ask him now that he's fallen unconscious."

Letting out the breath she had been holding, the Fifth turned to face the tall brunette. Power enhanced fists tightening in realization. Twirling around, she went to the desk, picked up the teapot and hurled it at the wall.

"Raidou!"

The scarred shinobi appeared in time to see the remaining teacup shattered against the wall.

"Get me a Yamanka, NOW!"

**………………..**

* * *

Hinata watched with a resigned sense of déjà vu as two members of her team bounded away to go see if they can snoop out any information from his family.

If she hadn't been relieved for having them help her than she probably would have been a bit put out. Why did Kiba and Akamaru always abandon her?

"Are you worried?"

Turning to the covered body to her left, Hinata nodded without any shame. Of course she was worried.

"Even after all the terrible things they have done?"

Shino watched as Hinata's pearl eyes became heavily lidded with thought at his question. It was an unfair one to have asked, but he just couldn't completely understand why she would try so hard for a clan that thought she was a burden. Hanabi and even Neji were understandable, being how she was close to the young Hyuuga's, but as for her father and co…?

When her firm hand entwined with his own, Shino pushed back the acceleration of his heart in order to fully turn to meet her sad but steady eyes.

"Shino…family can do many unforgivable things before you actually stop forgiving them."

It a sad, cruel, miserable thing to admit, but he understood; if this was his family he wasn't sure he would be able to condemn them either. In the end it came down to the bond that they held simply by sharing the same blood.

The thought of ever hurting his unborn sibling made his mind go blank. It was amazing that Sasuke would go that far.

What made him feel even more confused was that, even though they were in a complicated family dilemma, he had the feeling of content just from walking in the woods with her small hand clutching his.

He started guiltily when she continued – her mind obviously still on the important matter at hand.

"Besides…it's time I made my own decision about the clan and if I want to be in it."

Her statement was cryptic to say the least, but Hinata didn't bother going into further details, even if she felt Shino's curiosity.

Knowing that her obligation towards her family should be the only thing on her mind, Hinata couldn't help but want to prolong her time with the Aburame. Now that it was obvious that he wasn't going to spout out nonsense about his control and kiss her before running away. She wished it could stay like this for a while longer, and slowed her steps.

Feeling him change his stride to match hers without any hesitation, she felt her attention slip away from the painstakingly important decision and focusing more on the small things.

Her eyes seemed to automatically flicker around the clearing before falling to the small exposed of his neck above his high collar and pulled up hood. The skin was so pale, almost as pigment less as her own and the thought made her smile.

"..Hinata…"

Not noticing how his eyes had watch her observations, the black beauty was caught off guard when Shino pulled her towards him while in the same movement had his jacket pulled away from his face.

Underneath the sunlight that escaped from the guarding trees, she shivered in response to his cool lips as they invitingly pushed against hers – giving her an option that she slowly took. Gently pulling her hands from his casual grip she brought them up to rest lightly around his shoulders as his own undecidedly fluttered around before hesitatingly settling on her hips.

It was odd to feel, her own body temperature rising in result to the timid caress of his hands on her rounded hips and the feel of his lips parting to allow her tongue to shyly explore, while his own body stayed as cool as a spot under a tree during a heat wave.

Instead of her being the cold moon, and someone else being the dazzling sun, Hinata reveled in the fact of playing opposite for once. She had always wanted to be the one to pay attention to Naruto when she was younger. It had been okay to simply be a shadow who reflected his fiery passion for life.

But now as Hinata was being embraced as a woman by a man, she wasn't so sure she had been correct. It was nice having singular attention put on her, attention that wasn't judgmental or disproving.

In fact, from the way Shino's shoulders tensed up at the kiss became a bit bolder – his hands tightening more possessively – Hinata was pretty damn sure she never wanted to go back to being a shadow or a moon.

"..mmmm…"

Shino felt her content sigh and shivered in response before bringing his hands up to her back in order to get closer. This was dangerous and he knew that if things went any further then he might do something he'd regret later.

Still, it was so hard to pull back when Hinata pushed forward.

Feeling the familiar tingling of his kikaichu moving around in an energy-fueled frenzy, Shino broke the kiss only by putting his hands on her shoulders to keep her a few inches away.

He hadn't been away of his ragged breathing until her wide eyes opened above flushed cheeks to give him a heated stare that sent an electric shock from his chest to his groin.

She might be as innocent as him, but she was a natural.

"Hinata, I .."

A delicately rough finger on his lips cut him off and he simply watched as her gaze sharpened; trusting her enough to know that she had sensed something Shino waited. For once he excused his lack of attention, the reason being the edible sight mere inches in front of him and the memory of how soft but firm she felt pressed up against him.

Lost in the internal fight of kissing her again or walking away, Shino was surprised when Hinata suddenly shoved him away as if he was on fire.

Quickly moving a hand to bring the jacket back up to his face, he watched as Hinata turned to face the direction they had been heading.

It was only seconds until Ino's brilliant champagne hair came into view with a slouched form next to her. Hinata smiled at the duo – were they always together? – while putting on an nonchalant act.

"Hey Hinata, Shino sorry to bother you, but Tsunade Hokage wants to see you."

The bubbly blonde smiled at them in apology – her keen blue eyes picking up on the small distance between the two and the flushed face of a not sweating Hinata- and widened her grin.

"Oh, we better go then, thank you Ino..Shikamaru."

Watching at the two rather quickly left the area, Ino turned to gush at the tall man next to her when she caught him eying her.

"What?"

Not bothering to answer the troublesome blonde's question, Shikamaru simply followed the last duos example by reaching out towards her.

....................

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A/N: Feeling a tad guilty for not being able to update for a while, I got this one out rather quickly. Even if I don't reply to your reviews, I do read them repeatedly! ^_^

And no I do not feel any shame for my little 'tipping-my-hat' towards Shika and Ino.. lol!

Is it obvious that I'm working them up to ..more...**_zesty..._**scenes together? ^_^

Anyway, Enjoy!

oh... pardon any grammar mistakes! It was a super quick proofread at work!


	40. Chapter 40

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* * *

It was only later that they realized they had forgotten about Kiba.

Now, they were standing side by side as half of team eight in Konoha's Hokage's office, staring forward as the buxom blonde continued to ominously mutter while scrambling through the piles of scrolls on her desk.

"Where the fuck….no…tears limbs off….should've said no…"

Resisting the urge to take a cautioning step backwards Hinata kept her wide eyes trained on the wide windows beyond. Her index fingers itched to break out into the nervous habit of pushing together in the tense atmosphere.

"Ah –Ha!"

Hinata jumped as Tsunade triumphantly slammed a file down the desk – causing it to alarmingly wobble. She eyed the malicious grin on the Leafs leader and swallowed. The woman was to be admired just as much as she was to be feared.

To her left Shino simply adjusted his hands, sliding them into his pockets as he waited. His calm presence let her relax. He always did that to her, calming her anxiety down without doing a single thing.

"Hinata, from now on I'm assigning you to stay at the Aburame clan leader's house. Hanabi and Neji have also been relocated; I will not tell you where so don't bother asking Also don't try to pry it out of them if you should see one. Let me do my job."

Shino felt the young woman next to him sway dangerously on her feet and automatically brought a hand up to her shoulder to steady her, his gaze remaining on the observing Hokage. Her grin was gone, as her hands were folded in front of her mouth as her golden eyes stared at them in seriousness.

All jokes were pushed aside.

"It has come to my attention of certain on goings in the Hyuuga clan and while I generally do not bother what goes on in them, this cannot simply be ignored. I'm sure you, Hinata, know what I'm trying to convey. Being as you have been trying to pry your family history out of that the pathetic cave of a library."

Hinata's breathe caught in her throat as she regarded the woman in front of her. It wasn't that surprising that she had been found out, very little slipped past the powerful woman. It did sting though, she had been trying to avoid being conspicuous.

At the information about her sister and cousin, she knew that unless she wanted to tempt fate there was no way that she would be able to find out where they were going to be taken. A hint would be one of their teammate's houses, since that was what was happening to her.

The reality of it almost had her swaying again. She was staying, the night, at Shino's? Before it wouldn't have been such a big deal but now the idea brought a whole new connotation to it.

"Furthermore, team eight is going to be assigned a mission in a week's time. Dismissed!"

In a daze, Hinata numbly bowed when Tsunade spoke again, her powerful voice lowered

"Hinata, you can't contact your family. Okay? I refuse to let those bastards get their hands on any potential heirs."

Looking up into those eyes that reminded her of a dangerous jungle cat, she nodded before allowing Shino to lead her out of the room.

This wasn't good at all, now she couldn't even see if her sister was okay. She didn't really feel that was as necessary towards Neji, knowing that he was fully equip to protect himself and Hinata doubted that his team – specifically a sassy brunette- would let anyone get to him.

Hanabi though, her baby sister had been treated as the heir since before she was old enough to join the academy. The harsh pressures of the clan had been pressed upon her small shoulders in the light that Hinata was weak. The guilt was a double edged sword; a failure to protect her sibling from being subjected to such a harsh life and a failure of the Hyuuga clan.

A clan that now had its skeletons crawling out of the closet.

If such cruel things were still happening underneath the radar, would she still be able to stand among the front of the Hyuuga's?

Hinata's resolved was shaken at having to possibly make that decision; her trust in the family – a trust that was more trained obedience than love- was already broken. She simply could not put her faith in people who did such cruel things.

It was terrifying if not surprising that the 'proud, honorable' Hyuuga family would sink so low as to use suck means to gain power.

Her first emotional reaction was disgust; the second was disdain. Hinata struggled, for she had always strived to become strong enough to be noticed by her clan but now that one of many of their dark secrets was out, she was torn.

For once, she felt as if she was above such a family, and where did that leave her?

"My mother will be…pleased."

Breaking out of her thoughts, Hinata didn't bother glancing over at Shino. Of course he had been quiet for the last few minutes, understanding that she had much to let sink in and yet he didn't give her enough time to become too distraught.

Smiling for the first time since the moments in the forest, she glanced over at him before quietly responding.

"I'm glad she will be."

The streets were thinning as the sun began its journey of descending beneath the earth; the dark clouds were gathering over head, a sign of an impending storm.

Thinking of storms, she took in a deep breathe through her nose, ignoring the gaze she felt Shino give her.

"It's going to rain tonight."

He simply nodded before picking up the pace, his hand automatically reaching out towards hers before he caught himself. Thankful for the fact that he rarely blushed, Shino covered the movement by reaching up to seemingly adjust his glasses.

Shino should have known it would be harder to fool the eyes of a Byakugan user. She was trained to use her eyes to pick out any change in movement.

"Shino?"

This was no time for such feelings, he knew this; but Shino was beginning to feel his control slip every time the chance to touch the woman was made available.

"Hinata! Shino!"

For once mentally thanking his friend, Shino was saved from answering the inquiring look in her eyes. Turning around, they watched at Kiba and Akamaru thundered down the street towards them, not bothering to take in the place or looks they were getting.

Sliding to a stop inches from the girl's face, Kiba grabbed her shoulders without the slightest pause and began in.

"Have you seen Ino?"

Hinata, use to his physical personality, simply opened her mouth to answer when a low hum caught her attention the same time Kiba's was caught by the hand that tightly gripped his shoulder.

The bug user didn't have to say a word, the implication was clear.

Do not touch.

"Ah..um.."

She watched in mild confusion as she was quickly released, the suddenness nearly causing her to stumble backwards if her natural reflexes hadn't saved her footing. Kiba's agitation hadn't disappeared but instead turned to focus on the teammate that was standing eerily behind him.

Standing there, growing more complexed, she eyed the two wondering if she was going to have to jump in and be the usual mediator.

"You need to chill dude."

The growl was low and devoid of threat but with a definite warning. The tone took her back, what was going on? Kiba hadn't even done anything except ask her where the blonde kunoichi was, so why was Shino acting so upset?

Glancing down at the relax manner Akamaru was sitting, she figured it wasn't anything too serious. Boys will be boys she guessed.

Stepping closer to her wolfish friend, Hinata gently laid a hand on his surprisingly tense forearm. Catching his eyes, she smiled at him.

"Did something happen Kiba?"

Abruptly he stepped back from them – diffusing the tension in the air as he rubbed the back of his neck - his tan cheeks flushing with some emotion as he looked away from Shino to meet her gaze.

"Um well, you did see her with Shikamaru by any chance?"

Remembering the two that had sent them the Hokage's message, Hinata's kept her expression carefully neutral as she responded.

"Yeah, they had gotten us for the Hokage."

Several expressions crossed his face in rapid concession before irritation settling with one that she could only describe as male rage. Reaching her hand out again, Hinata astonished when Shino's shot out to clasp around her wrist, halting the movement.

The seconds ticked by as the two stared at their covered teammate, one in amazement and the other in irritated puzzlement.

He, himself, was stupefied at what he had just done.

He knew his long time best friend wasn't interested in Hinata in any romantic way, so why had he reacted so irrationally when the shinobi got into her space? It was nothing new, not even unusual. Since their genin days Kiba had always been openly affectionate with their little kunoichi, hugs and even kisses on the cheek weren't out of place.

So why had he reacted so vehemently when he saw him hands on her shoulders? It was as if the kikaichu was instinctively started to react by the threat, but what threat?

He knew he didn't have anything to worry about but Shino couldn't help it; he just didn't want anyone to touch her. Hinata had been out of reach for so long, that now all _he_ wanted to do was touch her and this created an almost paranoid response to other guys.

It was ridiculous, yet he just couldn't help it.

"What's gotten into you two?"

Hinata easily twisted her arm out of his grasp; he saw her eyes narrow as she stepped away from the two. It was rare that she became upset with either of them, always being the easy natured one, but now her firm arms crossed under her chest. A frown fixed on her face.

"Kiba, Ino was with Shikamaru and they stayed in the forest after we left."

He didn't miss how she deliberately cut him out of the conversation, but still felt a small grin creep upon his lips at the tenacity being shown.

"I know..I had gone back to get you two when you seriously _lagged behind_," Kiba missed the small blush that graced her cheeks but Shino didn't, " and caught them."

Tensed again as Hinata began to reach out towards Kiba, but both males were shocked when instead of the usual gentle comfort she shoved him back. A bit roughly too.

"So you what, ran away? Were they kissing or just embracing? Kiba don't be a fool, go find her and get a straight answer."

They stared at her as her rough exterior started to wobble before a full blush crossed her face and she bit her lower lip.

"I mean, you shouldn't just assume things. I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding, after all they are teammates and have been through a lot."

The pressure that had been building up in between his shoulders since the arrival of his comrades dissolved as he watched Hinata break down from her odd fit of severity back to her comforting self. Watching them as her continued softly encouraging him with her logical reasoning, he felt ashamed at how he had acted early.

It was a joke to think that team eight's solid rock was him; if anything it was the onyx haired beauty who gave her teammates what they needed when they needed it.

Ba, no doubt it was something akin to frustration. He went from nonexistent love life to having one with the girl of his (very few) fantasy's. Something was bound to be pent up.

"She's right, go Kiba. Later come to my house."

Meeting the slanted brown eyes, they measured each other as Kiba considered the closet thing he would get to an apology because nodding.

Hinata smiled at both of them, her hands clasping together in front of her with relief at them making up. She had been with these two long enough to know what a 'I'm sorry' had been spoken and when it was accepted. Even if she didn't know what the offense was.

Boys would be boys.

................

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A/N: Whoa, I super super apologize for such a junk-shoot chapter. I don't know why it felt like I was ripping nails out while writing it.. I need a chapter between the last and next and this just..got pooped out..

I was re-reading my last chapter and noticed how the Ino Shika moment (coughs yes it was a little one) made it sound like they were completely making out or something. Oops, writing that, it was a tip of my hat towards the pairing but alas no, they weren't making out. I meant they were hugging - reason's will be explained. lol Sorry for the mild confusion.

Also, Tsunade did not demand for a Yamanka simply to retreive Shino and Hinata, that was will be explained... also the reaons to her conditions to hinata and shino and stuff.

(sighs) in short, yes there are a wee bit of holes in this chapter but yes, they will (or at least should) be explained.

Yes there are definitely spelling and such errors, For this chapter I don't care, i just want it up and done with lol!!! so sorry for that too.

And I apologize for any Out of Character moments.. Shino a punk and is hard to write in certain situations lol.

Thanks!

Reviews are great!


	41. Chapter 41

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"God spare me from the stupidity of men. Especially hot headed shinobi ones."

Misao's form towered over the two young teenagers as they kneeled on the floor in front of her. Her shadow was only impressive from the growing belly that was starting to show through the comfortably blue yukata she was wearing.

Her expression wasn't as comforting, and Hinata bit back the smile as she watched the mom chew out the almost grown boys.

"Kiba I can't believe you would pick a fight with that sweet girl, just typical for a young blockhead. Jumping around with conclusions that were half pulled out of your ass and then using them to start fights with your friends."

The culprit flushed, but more out of the use of such vulgar language than out of embarrassment. Inuzuka's were smart but not very level headed; they lived at the seat of their emotions and didn't bother to hide it.

She wasn't done though, turning towards her son, Hinata gasped in surprised when the woman actually reached out and slapped his exposed head. Shino didn't change expression, his uncovered eyes staying on a spot on the ground in front of him. The air around him was very resigned to his position.

"And you!"

Obviously his actions were such the epitome of terrible that all she could do was throw up her hands in complete exasperation.

Kiba's snicker earned him a smack across the head too.

Hinata watched from the relaxing cushion that the leader's wife sweetly gave her, taking it to the motioned spot where she watched the proceedings. While part of her was amused at how the woman was taking it all, another part of her was humiliated at what had happened.

....

_Shino had been right, his mother had welcomed Hinata into the house with a tight hug and plenty of chatter. She had led her into the house, while mentioning how lucky it was that she was staying for a while because her heavy bones needed a break from such a weary task of cooking. _

_Complying with a shy smile, she had easily entertained the pregnant Aburame with flashy little moves as she cut the vegetables, not taking note of Shino's absence._

"_Darlin' now that we are alone for a while, I'd like to have a woman to almost woman talk with you."_

_The sentence had caught her off guard, and flushing furiously at the 'almost woman' part Hinata had carefully wiped the knife clean before setting it down and giving her full attention._

_Misao had been sitting at the small table in the middle of the kitchen, her tiny feet gently kicking several inches from the ground underneath as she rolled bread into rolls before setting them on a pan for the oven. Never pausing, she nudged another dough pile towards Hinata before starting._

"_I know it's awful soon to be discussing such serious matters, but well men generally aren't smart enough to get to the heart of the matter."_

_Carefully keep her face pleasant, Hinata had tried to keep her heart from racing as Misao started again in a quieter tone._

"_Shino really is like his father. Most Aburame men with hives are like that; quiet, aloof, and big stand -off jerks to boot. At the time I was sixteen working at my dear pa's flower farm."_

_At this she paused to twinkle mischievous eyes up at the Hyuuga, her lips quirking up in a grin._

"_Yamanka's gotta get their flowers from somewhere and my pa just had the prettiest ones, so that's how me and them know each other. Anyway, I would spend my days avoiding my task of cutting the flowers that were ready. That's how we met, I had fallen asleep and Shibi literally stepped on me."_

_The roll Hinata had been making smushed under her palm as she looked up in astonishment._

"_What?"_

_The laughter took a few minutes to subside before she was able to continue, talking in her rapid birdlike chirp._

"_Yes, I was sleeping all peacefully by the bank of some river when a spiky haired boy dropped onto my face- nearly broke my nose too. I was so livid, and he didn't say a word – just stood there with those stupid glasses. I stomped away after giving him a piece of my crushed mind, thinking that was that, but the next day he was there."_

_Stopping all pretense of trying to concentrate on making anything, she focused on Shino's mom, she could tell from the way the pause grew that this was where the important part was coming up. The dark eyes looked soft in the small face as she gently rolled the soft dough, lost in the memory that she was quietly speaking now._

"_He showed up at the river bank for three months, we started off bumpy. I told him he doesn't talk enough and he told me that I talk too much, but we still managed somehow. I already had a sweetheart you know, but there was just something that drew us together. I would have been a fool to stop it."_

_Their eyes met over the uncooked food, and Hinata felt her cheeks warm at the intimate smile that spread over the face across from hers, and for a moment it felt like she was listening to someone her own age._

_It was easy to tell how this woman had attracted many suitors; she was disarming with her honest charm._

"_He was a farmer, simple and easy but a bit boring. Sweetest guy I ever knew, but..a young girl always yearns for some adventure and a shinobi with a mysterious appearance does spark interest no?"_

_..._

Hinata watched, not listening, as Misao turned back to Kiba to chew him out some more. Her eyes drifting to the other bowed figure on their own. Even without his two outer coats, and the glasses gone, the simple way Shino held himself gave hint of mysterious danger. It was far too easy to see what would attract any young girl who yearned for something exciting.

...

"_It was cruel of me to use such a good man so, but Shibi was always so cautious around me. Always keeping a distance, yet sometimes when we started wandering in town he would act so strange. It irritated me because whenever I asked he would just brush me off. Finally after he had randomly yanked me out of a shop where I had been chatting with some friend, I lost my own temper."_

_By now the food was all but forgotten as one girl listened and one woman got lost in her story. The kitchen had grown silent other than the voice, and to Hinata that gave it even greater meaning._

"_I ignored him for days, I was just so frustrated. He liked me right, so why was he being such a dumb ass? Finally the farmer, Kenji, asked me out on a simple date. It was only dinner and a night out in the town. I said yes."_

_Thinking she was starting to see where this was going, with her own vague experience flittering through her mind, Hinata finally spoke._

"_Did he..lose control?"_

_The eyes that met hers had lost all of their joking light, and for the first time she was able to see the cold shinobi son in the woman in front of her. Her navy gaze was like sharp shards of glass, and they kept Hinata's locked._

"_Yes, we had just reached a small spot where some of our friends where hanging out. Kenji had just gathered enough courage to put his arm around my shoulders when Shibi showed up out of blue. Scaring the shit out of all of us, he yanked me away, taking me to the fields. It was the first time I had ever been around of him. His hand had been crushing mine, and his usual movements were jerky and violent."_

_It was suddenly cold; she held back the shiver that threatened to erupt over her spine._

"_We ended up by the river, when he stopped. We argued, I don't really remember what about, when I hauled off and slapped him. It had knocked the glasses off of his face, and we both fell silent. That's when I noticed a weird noise in the air. I was so scared; he shoved me onto the ground and put his hands around my neck...."_

_Abruptly the woman switched gears, throwing Hinata off guard as she perked up and resumed her task._

"_Well after that, we officially became a stupid item and wall-la Shino was eventually popped out."_

_Hinata stared, her mind trying to take the story in while watching the way Misao was now keeping her eyes from meetings her. A sinking suspicion was beginning to grow in her stomach and she had just been about to ask when Kiba and Shino burst in through the back door._

_Startled the women had leapt up at the sight of Kiba with a gashed bottom lip and Shino looking a bit worn around the edges. Both were breathing hard._

"_What the hell happened?"_

_Kiba let the anxious woman push him into the chair she had just been occupying while Shino leaned against the counter to answer._

"_He confronted Ino, accusing her of cheating on him with Shikamaru."_

_Hinata withheld from shaking her head._

"_Kiba…that wasn't what I meant by asking her.."_

_The Teen actually growled at her, causing a movement from Shino that earned him a look from the girl, before he slumped in his seat. Letting Misao pushed a wet cloth against his bleeding lip, though the older woman hadn't missed the action either._

"_I was going to, but..I don't know it came out all wrong. I guess they only hugged but she was so angry at me she wouldn't answer why, just told me to piss off."_

_Misao shook her head with a decisive cluck of her tongue before aiming a shrewd eye at her offspring._

"_And your excuse?"_

_Hinata didn't turn her head to see the shrug before his quiet voice answered._

"_I backed him up when Ino looked like she was going to use her jutsu on him, I didn't think Shikamaru would jump in to help her though, that was error was mine."_

_The three watched as the small woman stilled in her ministrations, her back slowly straightening before she turned to take both of the boys in, her face blank and her voice low._

"_You accused her of indecent things…in front of him?"_

_..._

This, of course, led to Misao throwing them into their current positions in the living room as she chewed them out. Basically they were the bane of her life, treating a friend's daughter like a whore and in front of the man she's accused of being disloyal with none the less.

Hinata didn't think that was what really pissed Ino off, knowing the girl, she was most likely angrier that Kiba hadn't responded to any of her attacks. This was probably seen as he thought she was too weak to deserve such a fight, and that was more damaging to the blonde's pride than anything.

Poor Shikamaru.

It would have been funnier if Hinata's mind stopped wandering back to the words Misao had spoken before the interruption. She had never been able to ask her question, but she had heard enough to guess what the answer might have been.

It didn't bring any new light onto the situation, but it sure did make the reality of it clearer.

What got her, as she absently watched the slowing lecture, was that she thought that she was starting to understand why the Aburame men reacted in such extreme terms. They were cut off from a normal childhood because of the hive. This didn't help any social skills, and although they weren't entirely reclusive, the kikaichu didn't help them in stuff that mattered the most.

She wasn't thinking about the life of a shinobi, sure that was important, but it wasn't a good emotional outlet. Every ninja needed something to distract them from the horrors they faced in their careers; whether it be dirty books, eating ramen, or simply friends. It helped keep the helpless feelings of life and death at bay.

Having people being afraid of something that was essentially a part of you didn't give many options for relationships.

She didn't know how it would feel to be forced to keep such strong feelings bottled up inside; Hinata was sure she'd eventually explode at the littlest poke.

Shino's poke was her apparently.

It was different though, and as her gaze sharpened when his unfathomable one glanced at her, she knew it wouldn't be so dangerous for them. He wasn't the only shinobi, she was also strong.

If he lost it, she would simply keep him in check.

Staring into eyes that appeared black from the distance, Hinata ignored the beginning of nervous knots in her stomach and straightened her back.

She would protect Shino from himself, and she would save the Hyuuga clan from falling into dishonor.

And Hinata never went back on her word.

.............

The mind was a marvel. It was a labyrinth of twists and turns, all leading nowhere yet were connected to everywhere. The strength of a person's mind was amazing, and it has been proven that even in the direst situations that it would be still prevail.

Yet, it was shockingly fragile also. Given the right push and it would teeter into an endless abyss of chaos.

Inoichi Yamanka knew this all too well.

"Any changes?"

Shizune was an intelligent woman, and the Hokage's apprentice, she was formidable in her own right. Where the Godaime was loose in rules, she made up with an iron fist of schedule. If there was a dead line, she'd be the one to get it done two weeks early.

Gently abstracting himself from the rather obscured mind in front of him, he turned to meet her focused eyes.

"Not much, he's been through a lot."

She nodded.

"Yes, from the report brought back by the mission, he had been raving about Hyuuga's exiling him after putting his eyes out, and Orochimaru's plan of something."

Rubbing weary hands over his face; it wasn't easy to dig through someone's mind. A headache was building behind his eyes at the effort.

"Plus the interrogation done by the Hyuuga clan," he glanced through his fingers to see a dark expression pass over the young woman's face at mention of the incident that the Hokage had not given permission for, "he wasn't stable to begin with and that just sent him over the edge. The process is going to take longer to extract the information we want, without completely destroying his mind. Especially with his health the way it is."

She nodded with a firm look on her face.

"We understand, do you need anything?"

The older Jouuin considered for a minute before making up his mind. It would be risky but it might work.

"Send for my daughter."

The look of surprise wasn't hidden as Shizune stared at the respected man.

"Are you sure that's wise, she's still very young Inoichi."

He nodded seriously turning back to stared at the abused person in front of him. The medics had tried to heal the fresh damage but Tsunade had to deal with the eyes. It hadn't been much success, and the hole in the wall behind the prisoner showed the fierce woman's displeasure. She had left with a promise of coming back after looking something up.

"True but she's very skilled in our family's art. Besides, I might be better at the jutsu's themselves but Ino surpasses me when it comes to understanding the mind and the spirit that goes with it. Don't let her frivolous act fool you."

The last part was given with a cool icy blue stare that revealed the steel of a man who had taken many lives without ever laying a physical hand on them.

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A/N: This is out early in repentance for the terrible last chapter. =)

Thoughts? Questions? Polite criticism? I take all in review form =)

I just finished a marathon of reading the entire Rurouni Kenshin manga - let me tell you that it does pay off to have a cold and allergies. Everybody - in fear of getting the plague- left me alone in my dark dungeon of a room.

Now I'm not sure what to pick up next, sighs.


	42. Chapter 42

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A/N: Ah emotions running high, oh no! ;) If this chapter has excessive typos and excessive plot confusing, I apologize. I'm currently in the middle of switching lap tops, so my chapters are split between the two.. -.-''''

So enjoy and review! :)

Refreshed Disclaimer: Yeah, cause if I did own Naruto - all the females wouldn't be so much weaker, and Sasuke wouldn't be so emo . 'k? =D

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..........

It had been a long day.

Sighing, Hinata followed Shino's form as he led the way to the room she would be using. After his mother made their ears bleed, she had announced that she was going to bed and that if they woke her up they would all die –miserably.

The silence following her departure had been filled with relief and an underlying tension.

"Man, she can be scarier than my mom."

Kiba's reproachful voice was only slightly hampered by the swollen lip, and after receiving twin looks of expressions that clearly said 'this is all your fault' he had made his farewell and left with a sleep-awoken Akamaru trailing behind him.

The awkward tension left behind was only broken when Shino had said he'd lead her to the room they were making their way to now.

Staring easily through the dark at the broad back in front of her, Hinata was once again reminded of Misao's words. Did Shino know of what almost happened?

"We forgot to tell Kiba about what Tsunade said."

It was almost impossible to think that he didn't know, and warmth pooled through her veins at the thought that Shino was possibly trying to hold back even more because he didn't want that to happen. It also made her irritated and sad. Did he not trust her with such precious feelings?

When he stopped and opened the door to the room, she spotted a folded bed in the center of the plain room, Hinata found her hand reaching out to grip the mesh shirt he was wearing. Looking up at his startled eyes, black as the surrounding night, she felt the words leaving her mouth before she even processed them.

"Stay for a while."

The seconds following her whispered plea were silent as she felt his entire body still. It was almost becoming too easy to distinguish the feelings of hesitation and insecurity that accompanied him every time she suggested something or even touched him. It hurt.

As she stepped closer, Shino stepped back, walking further into the room. Hinata's free hand unconsciously moved back around to quietly slide the door shut.

"Hinata?"

The room was pitch dark, enhancing the uncertainty that laced his tone and reaffirmed her resolve. Neatly sweeping her ankle behind his foot, they went down easily in a quiet poof as they landed on top of the futon.

Perhaps it was the comforting blanket of the night that made her feel bold or maybe it was the hitch in his breathing when her body laid across his and how his hands found their way to grab her shoulders to steady her. Whatever the reason was, Hinata felt her shyness slip down a few pegs.

"I just..wanted to be alone. That's all."

That couldn't have been too reassuring, with the way she had practically attacked him, but Hinata felt his pulse slow down and his body relax underneath hers.

"You could have…asked."

His chuckle was cool against her ear as she violently pushed against his shoulders to get up. Strong hands easy stalled her bluff though, and the laughter ceased as they stared at each other.

"I ..love you."

Feeling her own breathe falter before seizing all together, she was dumbstruck at what he just whispered. When she continued to remain unresponsive, his hands squeezed a little.

"Breathe."

Taking a deep breath, she silently sat up. Instead of giving them space though, Shino followed her and she found herself being the one underneath him.

"Hinata."

Feeling as if everything was spinning too quickly but at the same time not going fast enough, she simply answered by tilting her chin up to press her lips against his. Her hands pressing against his chest.

Really, whose control was in the most danger?

……………….

* * *

It hurt, everywhere. The burns on his arms, the scratches on his legs, the familiar fire that lived in his eyes sockets; it all became one excruciating pain.

Why didn't it just end?

The day was long, yet the seconds were longer, and sitting slump in a wooden chair he wished they had at least given him something soft to sit on.

It could have at least been in a garden, perhaps with some trees. He had really missed the trees that were on the clan grounds, they were tall and impressive. Formidable foes to the open sky. Now all he could do is smell them.

"She's here."

The voices had long ago gone dull to his ears, but at the mention of another female, he tried to push a bit of the numbness aside.

Of course, nothing there. Except for the white spots that burst around his blacken lids, giving the illusion of some color in his world of black. He wasn't even sure he had his eyes opened.

It didn't matter, nothing really matters.

_Ah, but it does matter, didn't you want revenge?_

The voice wasn't like the last one, that one had been mostly silent but this one was soft and feminine. Something that reminded him of dangerously beautiful black waters; the eerie silence and color pulls you in and then you drown.

It was nice, how long has it been since he had considered anything nice?

Ino's finger gently touched the swollen face that was in front of her. The skin gave way to fresh foul smelling pus as she pressed near the temple.

Shizune watched as her medical student didn't even flinch as the green fluid rolled over her fingers, the other shinobi focused behind her with his hands folded in front of him in a jutsu.

Watching the blonde duo as they began to unfold the secrets of his mind, Shizune couldn't help but repress a shudder of unease. These two could easily destroy a person's soul let alone their mind, what is it that they themselves think about? Was it deep? Was it so in-depth that only a genius Nara would understand?

Luckily she couldn't read minds or else she would have know that a small tiny part of the teenager in front of her was thinking about how many ways to castrate a male dog user nin.

……………..

* * *

The kisses were sweet and slow, like a warm summer day. At once both relaxing yet the warmth causing sweat with fever.

Shino pressed himself down on the heat below him, reveling in the softness and welcome as her arms wrapped themselves around his neck.

It was amazing, he still wasn't sure how they ended up entangled in each other's limbs on her make shift bed but Shino wasn't about to complain. Her lips were inviting and just having her body against his was enough to release all the building tension of the past couple hours.

When had it become such a necessity, to feel her surrender completely, to become the center of her attention instead of watching from the side?

Rough yet tender fingertips danced down his back, causing shivers of pleasure to erupt over his skin. He wasn't quite sure what had stirred such boldness but since it was coming from Hinata and aiming towards him, Shino was going to indulge in some satisfaction.

Running a hand down her side, he took pleasure in watching as Hinata's gasp broke their kiss, her body delicately shivering in response. His inquiry on if he was too cold was cut short by her lips capturing his again with a smile and a small mewl sound.

When she arched her body up to pressed tighter against his, Shino was sure this was how it felt to be on fire, full of desperation and need.

Desperation?

……………………

* * *

The problem with the world was that it wasn't quiet enough, no one wanted to have to constantly hear everything.

_Is that why you want your fight back? To stop all the noise?_

No, that was not quite the reason, but he wasn't going to go explain it all just because of some sweetly poisonous voice. Seeing something and hearing it was entirely two different things and that's why he had gone to _him_, so that he could see again.

_Is it painful?"_

As if the question was linked to his body, he groaned as hot white fire danced through his veins around his eyes.

Softness caught it off, warmth bleeding into him and he wondered briefly if this was what it was like to die.

Of course it was painful; a Hyuuga relies on their eyes from the day they first open. It was the core, the foundation to everything they are taught and do. It was the essence of their lifestyle and if one is blinded than there was no reason for living.

The fact that they had taken his eyes, while he could still see, was beyond the excruciating Hell he was in now.

_They need to pay for what they had done. Who is going to help you destroy them?_

Inside the cell, Shizune ignore the sheen of sweat forming on her brow as she watched Inoichi grimace at something before sharpening his gaze on the back of his daughter's head. It had been hours since they had started, and although he was a master of his art, the Yamanaka leader was not young anymore.

It was strange to watch him keep such a strict form while Ino was strangely relaxed; her hands not holding any hand signs, they were gently caressing the side of the man's face.

It was a few moments later that she realized Ino was using medical jutsu along with her mind jutsu. Had that ever been tried before?

Clearly team ten didn't just have a genius among them.

………….

* * *

"Hinata, wait."

His voice was like his hands, cold and still like stones, capturing her hands. Letting him break the grip she had on his arms, she went limp, staring up at him in the dark.

"What?"

It was the tone of her voice that had him reaffirming his decision to stop. Pushing himself up, Shino move back until a good few feet was between them.

"Why are you doing this?"

It was that tone, the tightly controlled robotic tone that seemed to have the ability to lock Shino away from anyone. Never before had she resented that tone as much as she did now. She didn't even bother trying to deny that it was because of the lace of hurt that lanced through her chest.

It was simple, he didn't trust her.

Abruptly sitting up, Hinata curled her knees up protectively in front of her, turning her head away from the young man kneeling in front of her. Everything was just not right anymore; her family was broken, she was usurped from her home, and the one person she wanted to become closer to was rejecting her.

Shaking her head enough so that her growing hair fell over her shoulder in a veil, Hinata choked back the threatening tears. She promised not to cry in front of them anymore, to be strong enough to be worthy.

"J-just forget it Sh-Shino, I'm tired."

He didn't bother to break the silence that had descended, just getting up and slowly leaving the room. She knew he had turned twice to look back at her, but by then she had completely turned away, lying on top of the bed.

Then he was gone.

Hinata was left alone, burning with the heat of betrayal and leftover traces of kisses while shivering from the memory of cold finger tips across her skin.

In the dark her pillow was wet with unacknowledged tears

….

* * *

Standing out in the middle of the garden, surrounding by the stillness that comes with the night, Shino stared at the ground. Trembling.


	43. Chapter 43

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* * *

A/N: Lo' n 'behold, another chapter has been completed! "wipes sweat from forehead" I actually don't think I really thought while finishing this up. Terrible as that sounds, I'm rather happy with it. lol okay enough of that, I'm sorry for any mistakes. =)

..................

* * *

Revenge? Of course he wanted revenge, on every Hyuuga who let this happen to him. The corruption was beyond fixable. They have killed so many lives with their evil.

It hurt. Oh it hurt.

_Have there been others?_

Yes, yes, so many others. Men who had not developed it enough to be of use, children in the lowest of low branches. There was no end, just like his pain.

_Were there women?_

Ino knew she had made the wrong move the instant his thoughts had gone blank. His entire thought becoming a chaos of black and rage. There was a brief moment where she glimpsed a soft looking face before it disappeared in the murderous intent.

She only had a moment to slip back before his body launched itself out of its chair and onto her, his hands grappling to find her throat.

Rough hands appeared over her shoulders, and Ino knew it was her dad. The mental connect she had was gone. Fighting to stop one man from hurting her and one from hurting him, she shouted.

"Don't hurt him! Don't hurt him! Shizune!"

……………..

* * *

The day was boring, with only a short note from the Hokage telling them to hold off leaving the compound for a day.

Hinata desperately wanted to leave.

The atmosphere at breakfast was forced between her and Shino. It was all her fault; she had simply acted without explaining anything to him. What was she suppose to say though? That he had hurt her by not trusting her? That she had tried to use her body as a weak attempt to get him all to herself.

The thought of what she had tried to do still brought a flush of humiliation to her cheeks.

She might not be the loudest or most competitive kunoichi but she had pride too.

Thus, she was spending the slow ticking time by scooting barely untouched food around her plate and avoiding the eyes that were staring at her from across the table.

"Urg! You two get out of here! Your bad attitudes are churning my stomach, go make up and then make out or something!"

Misao was in a grouchy mood as well and had no qualms showing it. Hinata looked up, startled as the woman poked a threatening finger at her and Shino.

"You two are creating clouds of gloom over my delicious breakfast, leave now!"

Muttering a bland apology, Hinata took the chance to escape the choking atmosphere. Getting up quickly she took her plate into the kitchen before fleeing out the back.

The Aburame gardens were gorgeous; there was no doubt about that. The fact that insects were largely dependent on plants and their blossoms was a factor in the extensive care taking of the blooms. She knew that there for a few members of the family that were specially trained to the task of caring for each bud that grew in the magnificent gardens..

Their hard work paid off in the spring when the gardens flourished under the light rain showers and sunlight, their full glory showing as every kind of flower slowly grew into a plethora of beautiful colors and fragrances.

Breathing in deeply the sweet perfumes around her, Hinata wandered deeper into the labyrinth of vegetation, letting the stress of her current situation flow away from her in a moment of peace inside the man made haven.

Birds were, surprisingly, welcomed, as Shino once explained that the twittering avians controlled the non-ninja bug population. The kikaichu were stored in hives away from any areas that beaks could get too. Besides, he had explained with a straight serious face, what good sensible ninja bug would let a mere common pigeon catch them?

Letting one hand trail over some vines, Hinata turned the idea over. The Hyuuga's had servants that took care of the general land maintenance. Really, until she had met Ino and Shino, plants were just brief decoration that lived until they wilted away. The boisterous blonde kunoichi quickly displaced that notion, explaining in a rare moment of insight that flowers were much more than _just flowers_. Ino had spoken softly, her long green fingers tenderly touching a lilies petal; they could express profound emotions more than any poem or cheap trinket because they were alive with a precious language of their own that spoke of love, sadness, and even hate. Yet they never had to say a word.

Of course, just being Shino's teammate was enough to show her that insects were more than _just bugs_.

Sighing in her unobtrusive way, Hinata stopped in a small circular area. It was a clear space that had several paths leading away while she stood in the center of all entrances. Glancing around she mused over returning before discarding the notion; she wasn't ready to go back and confront anybody about anything.

With the sun gleaming overhead, she closed her large opulent eyes briefly to gather concentration, before opening them up with the activated bloodline limit. A quick look with the rather handy three hundred sixty degrees assured her that there was no one around for a few hundred feet; smiling at the use of such a 'sacred' kekkei genkai for such a trivial task Hinata began a light set of katanas.

It had been days since she was able to simply practice the fluid movements that were central to the gentle-fist. Her muscles bunched momentarily before stretching out with an almost audible relief as they warmed up to the familiar arches and swings. Everything that had happened seemed to have swirled by her without ever pausing.

Easily increasing the speed and intensity, Hinata let herself get lost as she worked out all the complications.

The council of Hyuuga was curropt, which was something that had both shocked and confirmed her beliefs. She hadn't really believed that a group of honorable Hyuuga men would have allowed her uncle to simply give up his life, no matter the reason. From what she remembered they had not even fought for him at all, just about pushed him out the door in their haste to cover the abduction.

Hinata wasn't stupid; she knew that politics always included taint, sometimes more than anything else that happened in a village. This didn't mean she had to approve of it or to succumb to such acts of what she perceived as disgrace. A ninja, a _Leaf_ ninja, did not sink so low as to sell out their own members and they definitely did not gauge out their eyes. Death was more honorable.

So in conclusion to this, as the natural heir to such a place, Hinata knew she had come to a fork in her life's road. Did she denounce all the Hyuuga, partly in defiance to see if they would also try to dismember her and partly in an attempt to break from the chains that had bound Hinata her whole life? Or did she take up the vast burden upon her shoulders and use her "royal" blood to try and clean up the mess her elders have created?

It wasn't that difficult of a decision but underneath the bare ideas of it there were monstrous consequences.

Sliding her feet around her arms swinging in flexible arcs while her hands stayed steady, Hinata let her grimace show on her face.

An heiress could not be with a heir, couldn't even date. It was not just because it was not allowed, when had that ever stopped people before? It was something that went a bit deeper. Despite their disordered beginning, Hinata was dead sure that Shino was thinking of a permanent arrangement between them. Pushing aside the giddy fear that bubbled up in her stomach at the thought, her mind narrowed in on the more clinical logic.

From all that she had heard and seen, the Aburame did not make casual dates because of the serious control of their insects. This was not just some overzealous act on their part but an attempt to keep fatalities to a minimum. If someone was killed on accident every time a couple had a small fight, well, it wouldn't bode well.

Catching a movement from behind her, Hinata paused to wait for the person to come to her, easily falling onto the ground to stretch.

"Good morning…Shibrika."

The tall woman was more of an Amazon than petite like Misao, her pale coloring seemed at odd with her height and obvious strength. Hinata was positive that Shino's aunt would come out on top in a wrestling match, or any other kind of physical match.

There wasn't much resemblance to Shibi at all, who was dark down to his skin, but she was sure she caught the same casual stride of deadly confidence in the woman's steps as she came over to sit down next to her. Long arms sprawled behind her, wide hands supporting her body as she let her head fall back to stare up at the wonder of green.

Hinata, done with her stretching, curled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them; waiting for the woman to speak with her chin resting on her knees. It was obviously going to be about Shino or the fight that she hadn't thought Hinata was capable of, so she waited, knowing that she would talk when she was comfortable.

She had never felt impatient or tired from waiting for people to become accustomed to her; it was a habit that was stemmed from her own experience. Hinata always felt it easier to talk to other people when she had the chance to become comfortable in their presence.

"You look weak and rather too womanly for being a kunoichi."

Her lack of outrage or surprise caught the older ninja's interest, and Hinata didn't bother watching the tilting of the head in her direction or the assessing look that went with it. Instead she watched a pale purple butterfly fluttered around a dark blue flower that had numerous petals.

After a few seconds, Shibrika continued.

"You don't seem angry, I would have punched the first person to say something like that to me."

Smiling without showing any sadness Hinata finally turned away from the peaceful encounter to meet eyes as bright and blue as the glaciers. Her voice was more reflective than anything else, quiet and calm.

"I've grown up being called weak, a burden to my family and friends. So I've gotten use to the misconception, it usually does not last long. The woman part was new though, I don't think people take enough notice of me to see me as a woman, not that I mind most of the time."

This seemed to stump Shino's relative, her eyes clouded over as she thought about it before shaking her head slowly. The short locks of blonde falling into her face, something she barely noticed as she stared intently at the dark haired woman next to her. The young kunoichi exuded such a strong sense of calm that it was easy to get caught up in it.

It made Shibrika want to drop the hardcore exterior.

"Doesn't that hurt? To not be seen as the ninja that you are or been seen as the woman that you became?"

A shadow of uncertainty and long held pain flickered across the smooth features before, she received an answer, but the elder ninja didn't really need the words.

"I think that it does sometimes, when it comes from someone important to me."

Hinata shifted until her hair fell over her shoulder, a cheap veil to help hide what she didn't like showing other people.

"Shino saw you though, he always has."

The blunt direct observation actually made Hinata jump, her eyes widening with the surprise that had her rather unbecoming gape at the blonde woman next to her. She watched as a brief grin crossed the pale face before Shibrika continued.

"I know that I don't seem like one, but I am a girl too, ya' know and boy did that kid mope when he first got a team. It was easy to tell once Kiba showed up and Misao got him to describe you – she had to bait the dog boy with food- the calf eyes that Shino had explained it all." Her smile faded and her joking tone change as she became somber "Look, I know we Aburame are a bunch of disgusting freaks but we….well it's very lonely."

Hinata gently placed her hand on the woman's forearm, her eyes soft with the compassion that she would never speak allowed in respect to the kunoichi's honor. It might have been hard for a male Aburame, but for a female it had to have been worse to find someone that was understanding and not revolted.

She knew what she wanted; a promise that she wouldn't hurt or – more importantly- leave Shino. For some reason Hinata was a bit hesitant to say such a commitment; it felt as if this vow would be too permanent and right now she needed flexibility.

Her plans were too complicated for concrete future plans.

Besides, their relationship was complicated with what they had right now, why go and make it worse by getting more serious? She would go for just a few hours with no confusion. Flashes of last night rushed in her head bringing back up the issue she had tried to ignore.

Fighting a groan, Hinata dropped her head into her lap, not fully aware of her whisper that reached Shibrika's ears.

"I know lonely."


	44. Chapter 44

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* * *

It was well past noon when he came to find her. Hinata, laid out on the grass with sun reflecting onto her, had barely moved since Shino's aunt had quietly got up and left the same way she had come. They hadn't spoken after their twin confessions, both feeling a bit uneasy at their concession but didn't have the heart to fully regret. Sometimes the burden was easier to bear if someone similar knew, and they had seen the harsh side of life enough to know when to treasure such a moment.

It hadn't helped her dilemma though, and she felt worn and tired as she watched the clouds pass by over head. It was irrational but for a while she had indulged herself in pondering if Shikamaru really had it right in watching the fluffy puffs in the sky, it was quite relaxing. Requiring little brain effort.

Now though, as the sun started to hide itself behind the tall hedges and trees around her, Hinata felt her pulse pick up as the presence came closer.

He was taking his time, Shino generally never rushed outside of a mission or training, it was something they had in common. Kiba rushed ahead in a ball of masculinity and energy that seemed to infect him every day. Kurenai would always pace behind them, even in Konoha, as if their sensei felt like she would protect them in their own village.

That wasn't what she was thinking of now though, unbidden memories were popping up while just as unwelcomed images accompanied them. Shino's midnight eyes, effeminately wide with uncertainty, before lowering lids with an intense need that was both exciting and frightening. The hungry look that made her stomach quiver with a suppressed urge of wanting to be chased and caught. Then she saw his lips before her eyes had closed, his rough work abused hands sliding with over-the-top gentleness as they touched her.

Now that she listened, her breathing forced quiet, as his footsteps drew closer – purposefully loud to give her time to decide if she wanted to run or not- Hinata wasn't sure if she had any more control than he did. Weren't all love deprived teenagers just as full with raging hormones like this?

Raging hormones aside she was starting to doubt the almost dark spiraling need. That had to be from a childhood like hers. Where anything resembling affection had been cut off and starved.

"_I know lonely."_

It wasn't that she was alone anymore per say, but some loneliness went deeper than friendship and comradely. A secret emotion that made her both embarrassed and ashamed. A bottomless abyss where she yearned for reassurance of her own necessity, that she was _needed_, in the form of touches that burned into her skin.

It wasn't like everyone thought, that Hinata was a selfless creature of good, no, it was just that her desires went far more in depth than most people ever thought of. A warped psychology that stemmed from the wish to _be._

So when Shino, jacketless in his own home, came forward from the path to silently sit by her side. Hinata didn't move away.

Her eyes were closed, but it didn't matter, she didn't need them to know that she could have traced him without once peeking. His profile against the garden background would be a stark outline, strong yet indefinable; a trait worthy of praise in the shinobi way. His unruly brown hair would be, in a fashion quite like his mother's, would be sticking out from his head in a mess of cut curls.

The low hum of the kikaichu only heard from the nearness of his leg to her ear. It seemed almost mocking.

….............

Shino was at a loss; what do what to say. Anything to fix what seemed to be a growing gap between him and the pale face next to his knee.

Even after all these years together in team eight, her unassuming beauty still snuck up on him sometimes when he wasn't expecting it. Her curvy hourglass figure belied strength and muscles, something other kunoichi's had, no doubt, secretly admired. The skin that covered the teasing softness was so pale he thought he could trace the faint blue veins that shown just under the surface.

That was a worry that haunted him constantly. How could it be any use to her, it seemed so much thinner than anyone else's? It took him all he had to not bundle her up in a hundred blankets, protecting that delicate and tantalizing complexion.

The sun shimmered over her growing black hair with a purple sheen, something he had yet to see on other's black hair. If he looked close enough the reflection seemed to match the slight shade of lavender that was unique in her Hyuuga eyes.

It was all he could do to stop himself from covering her with his own body.

He had waited so, so very long for her to see him as a man who could love her like she wished Naruto would. Now that her eyes saw, Shino was finding it increasingly hard to stay away; as if he gravitated towards her like a pathetically pulled marionette.

Ah, it was sick how he was becoming some terrible poet. Kiba would have a dog-fit if he had heard those thoughts, and he was sure he would never hear the end of it.

Pushing that aside, he tried to find the words to speak. Last night had been, discerning. He wasn't sure what had caused Hinata to do what she did; her desperate touches and the expression of betrayal and hurt that had crossed her face when he had stopped was enough to make him sick. He didn't understand.

…....................

Her eyes opened the moment he spoke, as if their thoughts had been parallel.

"What's wrong?"

It was soft, quiet, and understanding; slipping over her like a warm breeze. Without thinking she had reached out groping until a comfortingly cool hand caught hers. Bringing it down, she hesitated before settling them on her collarbone, tilting her chin until it was touching his knuckles. Honest, split, calloused knuckles.

"So much is going on, what to do and what not to do."

She wasn't going to ask him what to do; she wouldn't place her responsibilities on someone else. Even if she wanted to so bad.

"The Hyuuga clan?"

She nodded with the barest bit of gloomy in it before meeting his eyes. They were uncovered, in avoidance of Misao's wrath, and were pools of dark in the shadows of the lowering sunlight. She shivered involuntarily.

"I have too, I must protect them."

Hinata knew he wouldn't argue, he was well aware of her sense of justice. His response was lowering himself to ground next to her, gently grabbing her shoulder to roll her his way until their foreheads touched. She was astonished to see his eyes were closed with a pained look on his face. Their clasped hands together between them, tight and unyielding, as if nothing would break them again.

She only wished.

"I'll protect you."

Those weren't words kunoichi's really cared for, as a rule, it always seemed like an insult. After all, they were just as well trained as shinobi's, so why would they want their protection? But now, Hinata's chest clenched as her fingers squeezed his.

"Shino, we'll be both head of clans. That's unheard of, nay?"

Dark blue eyes snapped open to give her a glare, something that had never happened before, and she was caught as he pressed a quick cold kiss on her lips.

"We can change that, we _will_ change that."

The fierce quiet determination loosened the uneasy knots that had been nervously tying themselves in her gut. Of course he wouldn't just go away, she wasn't sure she had ever really thought that Still, they were both level headed ninja, they knew that it was be much more easier said than done.

So for now, she scooted closer to fall into a series of sweet kisses, losing herself in the caress of his fingers against her neck as her own tentatively touched his temple.

............

* * *

A/N: Had a craving for some cotton candy so here it is. I'm apologize for any mistakes or whatnot in the chapter. My laptop and FN are not on good bed terms right now.

* * *


	45. Chapter 45

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* * *

Ino wanted a drink; something that would burn the taste buds right off of her tongue. Then she wanted to punch a boy, and go to bed.

Instead she was holding a kunai-ed prisoner, whose eyes were soaking the material of her neck with festering pus and other smelly things she didn't want to think about. Underneath the stretched and torn color of her outfit were scratches and bruises that promised for a sore throat.

She felt victorious though, and relief coursed through her veins like adrenaline.

Inoichi apparently didn't agree.

"Ino, put him down!"

Shizune had, somehow, effectively restrained her father from killing the man in her arms. This had given Ino enough time to get him off of her and to press a chakra enforced finger against a nerve in his neck. Her body ached from the brief tussle and prolong use of chakra but Ino straightened her back and tightened the hold of the trembling form in her arms; chin raising to defiantly stare at the adults in front of her.

"No, I had a connection; I want to try one more time."

She didn't want to explain why, how she had glimpsed a face that was so unobtrusive it was beautiful, how the mind conjuring the image up had been filled with agonizing loss. Ino definitely didn't let them see how a dirty hand had curled itself in the material on her back before she had knocked him out, like a child reaching for comfort.

Ino was a warrior, a killer, a kunoichi, but, she was still human.

....................

* * *

Her hands were warm, like the sun that beat down on them as they lay on the grass. His eyes were closed as small rough fingertips traced his face. Shino stayed still while Hinata explored, perfectly fine with what they were doing as long as she was focused on him.

The attention was exhilarating, addicting and he was sure he would snap if they weren't together.

He did allow one of his hands to stay against the smooth skin of her neck; where the slow steady beat of her heart reflected underneath the thin skin. The feel of her pulse reassuring as the flutter of strands of her hair that fell on him when she shifted.

Was this what it was like to be normal? To have someone touch you with just a finger and have your entire breathe seize as if you were too scared that one move would scare it away.

"Butterfly."

He regretted the word the moment the ministrations stopped. Shino could feel her paused and fought the urge to take up where she left off, but on her instead.

"W-what?"

A sigh of relief escaped his lips when she resumed tracing his eyebrows.

"I feel like this is a butterfly, if I move too fast will it fly away? Skittish and delicate, one harsh wind and it'll break into a million pieces."

Her laugh ghosted against his cheeks, low and vibrant as his chin was tickled with her hair.

"I won't let anything break you, Shino."

..............

* * *

Ino's hand shook as she placed them on his temples. The intimidating presence behind her shaking her attention but Ino firmed her chin. She tilted her head until she could see her father in position with broad shoulders tense in preparation.

"Ready?"

His nod was interrupted by a hand settling on his shoulder. Ino looked up from the crimson colored nails to meet hard amber eyes.

"Ino are you sure you know what you're doing?"

With a tremor in her hands, sweat on her brow, and the smell of festering wounds, Ino raised her head defiantly against all the signs that said she wasn't ready and met her Hokage's stare head on.

"Yes."

Then she turned away and chakra surged.

....................

* * *

Hinata smiled as a single blue eyes cracked open to glare at her. This garden was like their own little oasis, and she wished they could stay like this for longer.

As it was, she knew he felt the same presence moving closer to them, and broke the peace by standing up to brush off her pants.

Shino's sigh was lost as Kiba and Akamaru burst through the bushes to leap over his form and towards Hinata.

" 'Nata!"

Nodding she waited to speak when it came apparent that he wasn't going to say anymore.

"Yes?"

His eyes had covered the entire area with erratic energy, but at her prodding he fell back on her and grinned wolfishly. She didn't miss the dark circle under his eyes or the extra chaos in his hair. Her best friend hadn't slept well.

"Let's train or something, I'm going crazy here. Misao kicked me out of the kitchen."

Kiba's hands were already slipping into hers, pulling and tugging as he led her out of the enclosed area. Leaving Shino to follow, she easily jogged alongside her teammate, Akamaru padding by her side.

...............

* * *

Her temples throbbed, and for a mind numbing minute Ino thought she could literally feel each individual blood drop move in her restricted veins. She didn't even realize she was muttering.

"Steady Yamanaka, steady girl."

It hurt, her body was trained but still this much use of one difficult jutsu was exhausting. Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes and let herself ease in.

She didn't want to be a hero, she wanted to help.

...............

* * *

The pain wasn't gone, but it was as if all his senses had become dull to it. He wanted revenge, to have them hurt with the same hurt they had bestowed upon him but what was the point? The opportunity that had been given to him was slipping away.

_We can give you another one.._

Ah, that sweet soothing presence. It slithered and slipped through his consciousness like a delicate snake that's comforting touch dissipated its lethal bite. He leaned into it, hoping for that one deadly kiss, wanting it to end.

_She deserves revenge, so precious…_

Dark memories leaked through, a face once innocent was now twisted with pain. Eyeless sockets staring out but never seeing, joyful spirits sinking until there was nothing left. He didn't even stop them, how had he supposed to have known?

_Who would do such a thing?_

Who indeed, that was obvious. Ninja.

...................

* * *

Her hair flashed in the sun, just as shimmery as the glint of Kiba's kunai. Akamaru was by his feet, panting in relative comfort as the two watched them spar. Hinata twisted and danced as her firm flat palms easily deflected Kiba's efforts.

The shinobi's low curses were beginning to gain volume.

This wasn't hard; Kiba was like a brother and best friend. He never would have to worry about him becoming attracted to Hinata. It was just difficult in the sense that she could get hurt, and he would have to let her; just as he had done for all the years of harsh training.

Shino had no doubts that she could handle herself in a battle, but still, no one ever wanted to watch their someone get hurt.

But then, if she did get injured he could use it as an excuse to get her alone again.

Shino bit back the small smile.

This could work.

This _will _work.

................

* * *

It was as if she was on fire, the burning tendrils curling themselves around her; urging, pleading, coaxing her to let go, to let it consume her,

Ino had never been so close to the edge of unrepairable exhaustion.

She pushed on.

......................

* * *

_Ninja…_

Of course, ninja were made for destruction. They were made to create death and wreak havoc on other ninja, all for power play. There are no innocent ones.

There are no good ones.

................

* * *

She was tough, they knew that the Yamanaka daughter was stronger than how she looked. It was right to let her try so hard, wasn't it?

Shizune wasn't too sure, too much at one time could destroy a kunoichi just as much as improve her. She wasn't even sure they would get anywhere with whatever they were doing to him. The poor man looked half dead as it was.

And then, just as she turned to her Hokage to suggest a different attempt, Ino's exhausted voice began to mumble names.

Names of known honor, of known power, of known dignity.

Names of those who were responsible.

....................

* * *

A/N: oh dear, how did this story steer so off course. I had a tidy plot, a tidy ending, all wrapped up..and then this exploded. sigh.

Ok a bit of honesty here, this was suppose to be the last chapter ( can envision the wide disbelief), I'm not too happy with where it's going and how it's turning out ( -.-''') - this was my first fanfiction and thus why it's so immature and not very consistant (I still love it though =D ) and since the story would get more ..confusing..and more...sexual?.., I'm going to put it as complete..

(now for the but -lol)

HOWEVER...

I do believe I could be talked ( by myself or others lol) to doing a sequel. It would be after a brief time skip, focus more on how hinata will deal with the Hyuuga, how Shino will deal with having...a....woman..ish...and Kiba..dealing with...Ino...ish... or so I am thinking for now...ish.. -.-''''''

Anyway, if I don't do the sequel, I'm definitely writing another Shino/Hinata - it has a more steady plot and is already started.

Thoughts? ^_^ please keep them friendly! Mean remarks means less Shino/Hinata! =P

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